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REPORT 



COMMITTEE ON FINANCE 



HOUSE OF EEPRESENTATIVES, 



BOUNTY FRAUDS, &c.. 



MADE AT THE 



JANUARY SESSION, 1865. 



FRO VIDENCE : 

II. II. THOMAS & CO., PRINTERS TO THE STATE, 
NO. IG WEYBOSSET STREET. 

18G5. 



REPOET 

FINA^^CE COMMITTEE 



HOUSE OF EEPEESENTATIVES, 



BOUNTY FRAUDS, &c., 



MADE AT THE 



JANUAEY SESSION, 1865. 



I'ROVIDEIN'CE : 

H. H. THOMAS & CO., PRINTERS TO THE STATE, 
NO. 16 WEYBOSSET STREET. 

1865. 






'^r 



V 



REPORT. 



To the Honorable the House of Representatives of the State of 
Rhode Island, ^e> 

The undersigned, your Committee on Finance, were instructed by 
your resolution of January 17th, 1865, to enquire into the mode of 
enlisting men from this State into the service of the United States, 
and of the payment of bounties thereto ; and also to examine so 
much of the accounts of the late and present Paymaster Generals ; of 
the Quartermaster General, and of the Adjutant General of the 
State as embraces monies paid upon orders of His Excellency, the 
Governor, and to ascertain for what service or consideration such 
orders were given, and to what purposes the money obtained whereon 
have been applied. 

To aid the Committee in their investigations, the testimony taken 
before a joint Special Committee of the General Assembly at its last 
January session was committed to them, with full authority to send 
for persons and papers, and, they were further instructed to report 
the evidence they might take, and such recommendations to the 
House, as to the Committee should seem proper. In accordance with 
which instructions and under the authority given them they respect- 
fully beg leave to 

REPORT, 

That they have endeavored to ascertain the extent of the authority 
conferred upon the Executive to have men enlisted into the service 
of the United States, with the mode of executing that authority, and 
the degree of success which has attended its execution. 



4 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

To these ends they have examined the statutes of the State ; such 
of the miUtary orders of the Commander-in-Chief as were accessible 
to them, and have procured copies to he made from the military 
records of the State, as they are to be found in the offices of the 
Quartermaster General, Paymaster General and Adjutant General. 
They have also examined a large number of witnesses, from whom 
they have elicited a variety of important facts. 

Men Enlisted. 
Between May 26th, 1863, and January 2Tth, 1865, there were 
enlisted into the military service of the United States, and into the 
Reaiments from this State, as follows, to-wit. : 

^ ": in^O 2,005 

In the year 180.^ ^ ^^^ 

In the year 1864 '^^^ 

In the year 18fi.> 

3,520 

Total 

In addition to these, there have been enlisted into the regular army 
and into other regiments, 413 : making in all 3,933 men. ^See Ex. 
hibit " A " from the office of the Adjutant General hereto annexed.) 
Of this number, 391 enlisted for one year, (^see Exhibit "5,") and the 
residue were enlisted for two or three years. 
160 men were drafted who entered the service. 
678 furnished substitutes. 
458 commuted. 
1,118 re-enlisted. 

And during the war, about 2,000 men have entered the Navy. 
The drafted men, those who commuted, furnished substitutes; 
enlisted in the navy; re-enlisted, or were enlisted into the regular 
army, entered or were represented in the service, under and by virtue 
of tiie laws of the United States, and not under or by virtue of any 
State authority: 

The State Law. 
On the 1st day of June, 1863, the only bounty authorized by the 
State to be paid \o recruits, was $15 each, and |10 head money to 
the men who presented the recruit for enlistment. 

This bounty was increased to an amount not exceedi7ig $300, at the 
June session of the General Assembly, 1863, for recruits who enlisted 
for three years or the war. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 5 

There has been no law in force since August 1st, 1883, up to the 
present session of the General Assembly, which authorized the pay- 
ment of any bounty to any recruit who enlisted for a less term than 
for three years or the war. 

Under the call of February 1st, 1864, for 500,000 men, the Gov- 
ernor was, on the 11th of that month, authorized to pay an additional 
bounty beyond the $300, and for transportation of recruits to the 
extent of §50,000 ; and on the next succeeding day, he was author- 
ized to pay for additional bounty, subsistence and transportation, not 
exceeding $100,000, in obtaining recruits in anticipation of future 
calls. 

It is under the authority of these statutes, and of these alone, that 
the recruits have been enlisted to whose mode of enlistment and the 
manner of paying their bounties, the attention of the Committee has 
been directed. 

Orders of the Comynander-in- Chief to Raise Forces. 

By military orders 16 and 17, issued about the 20tli of June, 1863, 
the Commander-in-Chief called for three regiments of infantiy and 
one battery for six months. 

It was at first proposed to pay to this force a bounty of $100 for 
each recruit, and ten dollars head-money to the person who produced 
the recruit. (^See Exhibit " C','' hereto annexed^) 

The raising of this force was abandoned August 11th, 1863, and a 
bounty of $50 was to be paid to each enlisted man, with pay, &c., 
according to the regulations of the army of the United States. (^See 
Exhibits ''D'' and'' Er) 

About two companies of the 13th Regiment were raised at the 
expense of the State. They were equipped, clothed, subsisted and 
paid for their services and a bounty of $50 each, and head money was 
paid to recruiting officers. The State, by this failure, was involved 
in a large, and as the result showed, an useless expenditure of money. 

June 16th, 1863, a call was issued for the 3d Regiment of Cavalry 
for six months ; but the term of enlistment was enlarged to three 
years on July 1st. 

July 29th, a call was made for a company of heavy artillery of 
colored men. This corps was afterwards enlarged to a battalion, and 
finally to a full regiment. 



6 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

To the recruits for the 3d Cavahy and the 14th Regiment of Heavy 
Artillery were to be paid a bounty of 1300, with $10 head money 
from the State ; the recruits receiving, in addition, ^100 bounty, and 
the agent, not in the service of the United States, $2 head money 
from the Unifed States. 

Pausing here in the consideration of the Executive orders, and 
passing over some irregularities and some crimes connected with the 
enlistment of the men for the 3d Cavalry, your Committee will invite 
the attention of the House to 

TJie Mode of Enlisting Men for the Fourteenth Uegiment H. A. 

The late lamented Dr. W. H. Helme, assisted by Mr. James 
Jepherson, of Providence, with perhaps one or two other persons, 
appear to have enlisted one or two companies for this corps ; and, 
Avhile Dr. Helme had the control of this business, nothing has been 
brought to the attention of your Committee to satisfy them that he 
was actuated by other than philanthropic, honorable and patriotic 
motives. 

Late in the month of August, or early in September, 1868, J. C. 
Engley, the evil genius of this Regiment, appears to have entered its 
service, and, upon the recommendation of Major Samuel P. Sanford, 
was appointed a general superintendent to recruit for its ranks under 
the direction of the Governor and of Sanford. At about this time 
(Sept. 5th, 1863,) Engley received a Major's appointment upon the 
same recommendation. Previous to this he had been a private or 
warrant officer in one of the Rhode Island batteries. (^See evidence 
of jS. p. jSanford, Francis, Ungleg, and Exhibit "^." 

Francisco M. Ballon, an active recruiting officer, appears to have 
been engaged in recruiting men for .this corps when Engley entered 
its service. For a time. Ballon and Engley were competing agents 
in enlisting men in the city of New York. In this service Ballou 
appears to have been more than the peer of Engley. But Engley 
was favored by the Executive beyond Ballou, for though Ballou 
appears to have had some knowledge of the facts, he does not appear 
to have been fully informed of the extent of the benefits conferred by 
Executive favor upon his rival. Ballou had a Captain's commission, 
while Engley had a Majority. Engley had transportation furnished 
him for himself, his recruits and his agents, while Ballou had none of 
these facilities ; and, above all, on the 17th of September, 1863, the 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 



Governor appears to have issued an order to the Paymaster General 
to pay to Engley $50 of the bounty of such of the recruits as he 
(Engley) should name that were enlisted for this Regiment. (^See 
Exhibit " C") This latter and significant fact does not appear to 
have been brought to the hioivledge of Ballou. Bear in mind that no 
order or receipt from the men was required for the payment of this 
sum. In the same order, the Paymaster General was directed to pay 
to Engley a further sum of $25 of the bounty of the recruits upon 
producing their receipts therefor. It is probable, from the evidence, 
that Ballou knew that f 25, or that some small amount would be paid 
by the Paymaster General, upon the orders of the recruits, for he 
entered into a co-partnership with Engley about this time, and inaug- 
urated the practice of taking small orders from the recruits. Each 
of these partners appears to have had subordinate agents, who con- 
tributed more or less to the amount of the business of the firm. But 
this co-partnership soon resulted unhappily, for Engley was their 
financial agent, and the profits resulting from the business of his sub- 
ordinates appear to have been diverted to his own pocket; and not 
only this, but they were made to compete directly with the firm by 
procuring recruits in the same field of operations. This created dis- 
satisfaction, and brought about an interview between Col. Bailey, 
Major Sanford, Major Engley and Ballou. The result of this extra- 
ordinary interview is detailed in the evidence of Ballou. After hear- 
ing the complaints of Ballou, Engley expi'esses the belief that the 
true cause of dissatisfaction arose from the fact that they had not 
taken orders for a sufficient amount from the recruits. Ballou appears 
to have been surprised at this suggestion, and informs the Major that 
they had taken orders large enough from the recruits to make a net 
profit of 8100 each per day^ and he thought that that was enough. 

Here it should be borne in mind that Ballou does not appear to 
have had any information relative to the authority of Engley to 
deduct $50 from the bounty of each recruit he should designate with- 
out any order or receipt from the recruit for that amount. The 
precise date of this interview your Committee have not been able to 
ascertain, but on the 28th of October, 1863, the Governor issued a 
further order to the Paymaster General, authorizing him to pay a 
further sum of $25 to Major Engley from the bounty of each recruit. 
This order did not require any assent from the recruit for the pay- 
ment of the amount. (^See Exhibit ••' jfiT.") / 



b REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

On the 6th of November, 1863, the Governor issued a special 
order to the Paymaster General to pay to Major Engley $250 of the 
bounty of each of foiirteen recruits. This order did not require any 
authority from the men for this payment. QSee Exliihit "/.") 

November 9th, the Governor issued another general order to the 
Paymaster General to pay a further sum of $75 of the bounty of the 
recruits, upon the same plan and under the same regulations as the 
125 and $50 were to be paid. {See Exhibit "J".") 

It is here worthy of remark that Major Engley was the only 
channel through which any of these orders could be paid. (^See evi- 
dence of John iV! Francis.^ 

At this time there had been issued the general orders of Sept. 17, 
Oct. 28, and Nov. 9, by which $75 of the bounty of the recruits was 
to be paid without their order, and $100 was to be paid upon their 
order, making in all $175 of $300 allowed by the State to be paid 
them. 

November 24th, there was an additional general order, authorizing 
the payment of one hundred dollars when their signature was obtained 
authorizing the same. None of the prior orders appear to have been 
revoked, and thus authority was given for the payment of $275 of 
the $300 bounty. This practice in issuing orders for payment of 
the moneys of recruits, such as were enlisted into the 14th Regiment, 
to Major Engley, against whom there seems to have been many com- 
plaints, to say the least, presents a state of things worthy of the 
serious attention of the House and of the people. 

December 3d, a special order was issued to pay to Engley $250 of 
the bounty of four recruits, if the Paymaster General was made 
satisfied that they were " contrabands. " (^/See Exhibit "i.") 

As if there had not already been orders enough issued ; on the 6th 
of December we find still another issued in these words, to-wit : 

State of Kuodb Island, Executive Dep't. ) 
Providence, Dec. 6, 1863. ^ 
Col. J. N. Francis, Paymaster General: 

Colonel : — You ■will j)lease to pay for such recruits as may be furnished by 
Major J. C. Engley, for the 14th Regiment R. I. H. A., $100 and $150 
respectively, in accordance with their orders and under the same regulations as 
the previous payments of $50, $75, &c. 

I am, ''General," very respectfully, 

CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 
(See Exhibit "if.") 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. y 

Near fifty special and general orders were issued between the ITth 
of September^ 1863, and March 21st, 1864, to pav to Engley the 
bounties for recruits for this regiment, or for the recruits in the orders 
named. For some, he was to be paid 8200 ; for some §^250, and for 
some, the entire bounty. Copies of some of the orders are annexed, 
marked "N." 

March 21st, 1864, the Governor issued to the Paymaster General, 
a further order, directing him to pay to Engley all of the $300 bounty 
to the men of the 14th regiment, after deducting the amount for 
which they agreed to enlist. 

Under this last general order there was paid to Major Engley 
166,000. (iS'ee evidence of J. N. Francis.^ 

Engley received from the State Treasury, in connection with 
recruiting for the 14th regiment, as follows, viz. : 

Under the order of the Governor of March 21st, 1864, to pay to Engley 
the difference between the amount of bounty, for which the recruit agreed to 

enlist, and the $300, (See Evidence of Francis.') $66,000 00 

Under orders of for 875 men for subsistence, service and 

transportation, (See copies of Orders hereto annexed.) 30,675 00 

Orders to pay bounties of deceased, discharged and deserting recruits. 11,011 00 

Head money 1,583 men at $10 15,830 00 

U. S. premium for 1,322 men at $2 2,644 00 

For transportation of recruits 120 00 

For 178 tickets 584 00 

Pay as Major 1,02176 

Total -, $127,835 76 

Besides this sum, he received a large amount of money upon the 
orders of the recruits. During this period of time the State paid 
upwards of $18,500 to the various railroad and steamboat companies 
for transportation ; and it paid head money zX $10 each to other per- 
sons for enlisting 1,053 men, besides the men enlisted and designated 
for other regiments in the official reports, so that the State appears to 
have paid the head money for enlisting a large number of recruits, 
beyond the number actually entering the service of the 14th regiment. 
2 



10 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

As it is in evidence before the Committee that a very large amount 
of" the bounty of these recruits was paid upon their orders, the Com- 
mittee directed their attention to the inquiry as to 

The Mode in which those Orders tvere Obtained. 

Many of the recruits were enlisted without the State, and some of 
them as far off as Missouri. Upon their arrival in Providence, they 
were immediately taken to the recruiting office and were locked into 
a room adjoining thereto ; where they were detained until the proper 
officers appeared to attend to their enlistment, when they were taken 
out of the room one at a time, and were then asked if they could 
write. If they could, they were told to sign their names to a paper, 
and if they could not write, they Avere told to make their marks. The 
papers which they signed were orders for parts of their bounty. 
Their signatures were witnessed by a person who was at hand for 
that purpose. The men in many instances did not have the orders 
they signed read, or the contents thereof stated to them, nor do they 
appear to have been able to read for themselves. But they signed 
the orders supposing that they were doing an act necessary to their 
enlistment. (^See Evidence of Rev. 3Ir. tShw'tliff, Mr. Perr'y., 3Ir. 
Hill, Bi'oivn and others.^ 

Near to the recruiting office, Engley had a room where he sold 
worthless watches and various articles of clothing to the men. 
Though this business was Engley 's, it was carried on in the name of 
F. N. Sheldon. For the sales made there to the recruits, they were 
in the habit of drawing orders against their bounty. (^See evidence of 
F. N. Sheldon and Qol. N. riall') 

Though the regular sutler of this regiment paid to the Regimental 
Fund $75 per month, he was summarily turned out of camp by Amos 
D. Smith, 3d, and other favored parties were ordered by him to be 
permitted to trade with the men of the regiment, ostensibly for the 
purpose of showing Col. Viall "that there was some power in Israel" 
beyond his control, yet as your Committee believe for the more 
obvious purpose of allowing favorite traders the advantage of the 
profit of the sales which they would make to these men. For these 
sales, orders were either drawn against the bounty of the men, or the 
amount of the sales were deducted from the bounty certificates by 
dhe Allotment Commissioner. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 11 

Here arose another difficulty ; the traders had not properly located 
all the men to whom they sold goods, nor had they correctly under- 
stood their sometimes difficult names. So that the Allotment Com- 
missioner with the traders' accounts before him, could not always find 
the names in the accounts upon the roll of the regiment. In this 
dilemma, the Allotment Commissioner, Amos D. Smith, 3d, concluded 
to charge the accounts of the traders to such of the men as he thought, 
might or ought to have had the articles charged, and a large amount 
of these traders' accounts was apportioned in this way, which caused 
dissatisfaction among the men. (*S'ee evidence of D. T. Lyman.^ 

The men complained, some of them, that orders had appeared 
against them which they had not signed. Others, that they were 
made intoxicated, or by other fraudulent practices, were induced to 
sign orders for which they had not received a fair equivalent ; and 
still others complained that orders had appeared against them for a 
larger sum than they had agreed should be taken from their bounty. 
(^See Ex. to evidence of Gen. 3Iauran, sundry papers signed hy men 
and hy them sioorn to ; Ev. Col. Viall, Hoivard, 3Iercer., Dorsey and 
others. 

Takino- into consideration the treatment of these men bv the State 
officials as that treatment is disclosed in the evidence before the com- 
mittee, and how the men who were about to hazard their lives in 
defence of the State and of the country, were wronged in proportion 
as they were without the means of asserting their rights ; and how 
that five-sixths of the bounty of the State assigned to be paid to the 
poor ignorant contraband, who had just broken the bonds of slavery 
to enlist in the army of the Union, in defence of his new-born liberty, 
should be taken by the sanction of any citizen of the State, to gratify 
the propensities of any recruiting officer, present a state of things 
which is a source of regret to yovir Committee, and should be to every 
person who has any regard for the honor of the State. 

United States Laivs and Army Regulatio7is in relation to the Recruiting 

Service. 

In passing to the consideration of another stage of the recruiting 
business, your Committee may remark that though these recruiting 
officers were appointed by, and were the agents of the State for the 
purpose of filling the quotas of the State, they were recruiting men 
for the service of the United States, and were bound by the military 
law of the United States. 



12 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Engley, Ballou and Sanford, were all commissioned officers, and as 
they were commissioned for the service of the United States, they had 
no right to violate the regulations of that service ; and the same remark 
applies to Lemuel T. Starkey, Avho was a Captain of Cavalry, and 
was active in enlisting for the 3d Cavalry, and to whom reference is 
hereinafter made. These men could not lawfully receive pay as 
officers and recruiting agents. (^See Revised Arviy Regulations, 
Reg. 1003.) 

Recruiting in 1864. 

By General Order No. 1, issued January 2d, 1861, Major S. P. 
Sanford was made the Superintendent of Recruiting for the State, 
and all recruiting officers were directed to report to him for orders. 
{See Ex. "P.") 

There does not appear to have been much done at recruiting after 
the organization of the 3d Cavalry and the 14th Regiment of Heavy 
Artillery was completed, which was near the 1st of April, up to the 
27th of June, when the War Department issued an oi'der that all 
recruiting should be carried on throush the officers of the Provost 
Marshal. 

At about this time the Governor issued an authority to the Pro- 
vost Marshals in this State to issue' certificates for head-money to 
recruiting officers who produced recruits for enlistment as follows, 
viz. : If the recruit enlisted for one year, for $20 ; if for two years, 
$40 ; if for three years, $50. (^See evidence of Hamlin and Chadsey.^ 

At some time, but at precisely what time has not been by your 
Committee satisfactorily ascertained, Col. John N. Francis, Col. H. 
C. Jenckes, Major J. C. Engley, and Captain L. T. Starkey seem to 
have been engaged under Sanford as special recruiting agents, their 
duties and authority, so far as the same have been shown to your 
Committee, will be hereinafter set forth. 

There were many other recruiting officers in the service of the 
State. In fact, under this arrangement, any person who pleased 
procured recruits and carried them to the Provost Marshals, or to 
Lieut. W. B. Occleston, who was recruiting for the regular service, 
and had them enlisted ; and all of these received their certificates, 
which purported to entitle the holder, if he had enlisted a recruit for 
one year, to $20 ; if for two years, to $40 ; and if for three years to 
$50. From the evidence before the Committee, it appeared to be the 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 13 

duty of Francis, Jenckes, Starkey and Engley to buy up these Pro- 
vost Marshal's certificates, and without these officers having rendered 
any service to the State or any considei'able service to the recruiting 
officer, these certificates Avere by them presented to the Governor, 
and his order was obtained thereon to pay to the favored holders for 
a $20 certificate, |80 ; for a |40 certificate, |100 ; and for a $50 cer- 
tificate, was paid fllO. Thus the State treasury was depleted of $60 
for every recruit that was put into the service from the State for the 
benefit of these special agents without their having rendered any con- 
siderable aid to the recruiting service. (^jSee evidence Cook, Hill, 
Brotvn, Francis, Starkey, Jenches, ayid others^) $150,000 of the 
people's money, without any authority of law whatever, has been 
expended in this way. (^See evidence of I). C. Remington.^ 

Recruiting in 1865. 

January 2, 1865, upon the verbal orders of the Governor, the 
head-money to ordinary recruiting officers was increased to $150 to 
the general recruiting agents for recruits for one, two or three years, 
and a bounty of $200 for one year, $300 for two years, and $400 for 
three years. QSee evidence Hamlin, and others.^ 

The special agents, Engley, Francis, Starkey, and Jenckes received 
$50 per man until January 20th, 1865, as they had before received 
their $60 per man, when all orders in reference to Provost Marshals' 
certificates were annulled, and recruiting for the State was stojiped. 



Certain Officers. 

There is no authority in law known to your Committee by which 
the Governor could create the office of Superintendent of Recruiting, 
and establish his pay at $225 per month, $2,700 per annum, or the 
office of Military Secretary and fix his pay at $1,500 per annum. 
But your Committee supposed that the Adjutant General, who holds 
an office created by law, was the military secretary of the Command- 
er-in-Chief. From what fund these officers could be lawfully paid, 
your Committee are Avholly unadvised, and if any portion of the 
$150,000 appropriated for the transportation, subsistence and bounty 
of troops has been applied to this purpose it has been misapplied. 



14 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Transportation of Troo2)s. 

Transportation of troops from New York and other places, Ayhere 
the fare from Providence did not exceed $4, was early issued by Maj. 
Sanford to Maj. Engley; and the several railroad and steamboat com- 
panies were directed to respect Maj. Engley's orders for transportation ; 
and Major Engley was in the habit of issuing similar orders that the 
orders of his subordinates for transportation be respected. The 
numerous bills for transportation paid by the State to railroad com- 
panies, show how much money has been expended in this way; and 
there is a single item in the Paymaster General's account, of f 30,625, 
for the transportation and subsistence of 875 men by Major Engley, 
when it is in evidence before the Committee, that the cost of trans- 
porting a recruit from Indianapolis to Providence, was but $15. (^See 
evidence of C A. Fuller.^ 

It was also in evidence before the Committee, that this transporta- 
tion, paid for by the State, and to be taken from the hard earnings of 
the people of the State in taxes, had been used by women, (not by 
good women, for they would not use transportation thus wrongfully 
obtained,) between Providence and New York. (^See evidence of S. 
P. Sanford and F. N. Sheldon.^ 

In this connection, your (committee deem it proper to state, that 
the large amount paid Engley for subsisting and transporting men, 
contains a conclusive answer to his pretence that the orders taken 
against the bounty of recruits was necessary for their subsistence on 
the way, and for their transportation to Providence. 

Discrepancy between Men Enlisted and Men Paid for in Jan., 1865. 

By the Report of the Quartermaster General, annexed to his 
evidence, it appears that the State paid for, during the month of Jan- 
uary, 1865, and before the 26th of that month, 368 men — while from 
the Report of the Acting Assistant Provost Marshal General, Col. 
H. Neide, it appears that there were enlisted for and credited to the 
State within that period, but '331 men, leaving the State the loser by 
its having paid for 37 men more than it received credit for, which, at 
a cost of say $400 each, amounts to the large sum of $14,800, which 
the State appears to have lost in this transaction. Your Committee 
hesitated in coming to this result until it was forced upon them by 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 15 

the official documentary evidence before them. QSee certificates of 
Hamlin, Chadsey and Neide, and Exhibit annexed to evidence of 
Remington.') 

Before coming to their general conclusion, your Committee, for 
the credit of the State and for the honor of human nature, Avoukl 
gladly forego the painful task of referring to 

The Frauds and attempts at Fraud Committed upon the Veterans of 
the Third Heavy Ar-tillery. 

The toils, sufferino;s and glories of the men who had fouoht at 
James Island, Pulaski, Morris Island, stormed Fort Wagner, and had 
remained for years exposed to the constant fire of the enemy before 
Charleston, which city they have recently triumphantly entered, one 
would have supposed would have awed the avarice of even bad men 
into quietude. Yet these veteran soldiers were sought to be made 
the subjects upon which a class of men in and about Providence could 
practice their arts. The story of the wrongs and attempts at wrong 
upon them, by means of improperly encumbering their bounty cer- 
tificates by false and fraudulent entries, is told in the evidence of the 
Rev. Frederic Denison, to whose intelligent ascertainment of duty, 
integrity and firmness of purpose in carrying out his convictions, the 
recruits are indebted for the protection Avhich tliey have recei^'ed in 
this behalf. His testimony is short and is hereto annexed. He tells 
his own story in his own way, and every person who knows him will 
believe every word of it. 

Before coming to any conclusions upon this evidence before them, 
your Committee invited His Excellency the Governor to examine 
the evidence, and to make such explanations thereon to the Commit- 
tee as to him should appear to be proper ; but the demands of his 
official business prevented him from accepting the invitation of the 
Committee, whereupon the Committee offered, by one of their num- 
ber, to wait upon the Governor with the evidence at his pleasure, 
and afterwards extended to him an invitation to send some person to 
examine the testimony for him, who, under his direction, should make 
such reviews thereof as the Governor should think proper, which 
invitation the Governor was understood to accept. Yet no person 
has appeared to the Committee for this purpose. But his Excellency 
did propose to the Committee that they should reduce to writing and 



16 ■ REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

propound to him such questions as they thought proper, that he might 
put his answers thereto in writing, to wliich proposition the Commit- 
tee cheerfully assented, and presented to the Govei'nor a series of 
questions on Friday morning, February the 24th. 

To these interrogatories the Governor has favored the Committee 
with certain answers which are hereto annexed, but the answers, your 
Committee regret to say, are neither so full or satisfactory as they 
desired, as they utterly fail to make out any justification in law for 
the appropriation of the amounts therein referred to. To review his 
answers in the order in which he has given them, and which chano-es 
the order of the Committee, the Committee respectfully submit as 
follows, viz. : 

Tlie Governor, in justification of the order of October 24th, 1864, 
sets up the authority of the War Department to justify it. 

The Committee are constrained to say that the War Department 
of the United States have no authority to pay a commissioned officer 
who is detailed to the recruiting service two dollars per man, or any 
other sum, as head-money for procuring recruits, nor has that Depart- 
ment any authority to authorize Governor Smith, or any other Gov- 
ernor, to pay that sum to a commissioned officer. 

The answer of the Governor in relation to the payment of the 
811,011 which he ordered to be paid, and which Avas actually paid to 
J. C. Engley for 102 men, (deserters, deceased and discharged,) is 
equally unsatisfactory. 

For the Governor had no authority to pay any bounties or head 
money, but for men who were mustered into the service of the 
United States, and credited to the quotas of this State ; and especially 
did he liave no authority to pay the bounty balances of deserters or 
deceased or discharged persons to Engley, or to any other person 
without the authority of the men or of their personal representatives. 

The answer under which the Governor justifies the payment of 
the $30,625 to Engley is met in this report, and is sufficient in so 
far as the same, or a part thereof was expended in transporting and 
subsisting recruits, but no farther ; and your Committee cannot 
believe that all of this large sum, or more than a moiety thereof was 
expended in procuring those recruits. 

In reference to the order of the 21st of March, upon which Col. 
Francis says that he paid Engley $66,000, it is wholly immaterial 
whether that sum was paid on that particular order, or upon the 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 17 

orders of September 17th and October 28th, 1863, and the special 
ordei's. In either case it Avas paid upon an order, which was not the 
order of the recruits, and one which the Governor had no authority 
for giving. 

Passing over the Governor's answer to the third interrogatory as 
the appointment of Engley to a Majority is hereinbefore considered, 
the Committee may be allowed to remark that the Acts of the General 
Assembly of February 11th and 12th, 1864, and of the special 
session of the Assembly in August, 1862, confer upon the Governor 
no authority to apjjoint special recruiting agents, with tlie duties and 
authorities exercised by Engley, Starkey, Francis and Jenckes. 

And the answer to this question appears to be at variance with 
order No. 1, issued January 2d, 1863, by the Governor, appointing 
S. P. Sanford superintendent of recruiting, aixl fails in every respect 
to show any authority for appointing the officers therein referred to. 

Conclusion. 

Your Committee, from the evidence before them, conclude that 
Engley and the other officers in commission engaged in the recruit- 
ing service, were the agents of the State, and were bound by the 
military laws of the United States. That, as such agents, they could 
properly receive no pay beyond the legitimate pay for discharging 
their offices for their services in connection with the recruiting busi- 
ness, for it is not pretended that they did any official business, or that 
they received their appointments with the expectation that they were 
to do any other official duty to entitle them to their official pay but 
what was connected with recruitino-. That if, as such ao-ents and 
officers, they contracted with men to enlist into the service of the 
United States from this State, for a less bounty than fSOO, that the 
/State, and not the recruiting officer., was entitled to the difference he- 
ttveen the bounty for which the recruit agreed to enlist and the $300. 
TJiat there was no authority in law for the payment of this diffi^rence 
to any recruiting officer whatever, or for paying any head money to 
recruiting officers, beyond the $10 allowed by the State law. That 
the $66,000, the $11,011, the $2,644, the $15,830, and so much of 
the $30,675 as was not expended for the necessary transportation 
and subsistence of the recruits was paid improperly, and without 
authority of law, and that the same ought to be recovered by the 
State from the person avIio received the same. The Committee do 
3 



18 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

not approve of the policy which was adopted of discriminating so 
strongly against that class of recruits which is commonly called " con- 
trabands " as to authorize the taking by recruiting officers of five- 
sixths of the bounty provided by the State to be paid for their benefit. 
This policy indicates a disposition to oppress a class of citizens in 
proportion as they are without the means of resisting oppression. 
The Connnittee could find nothing in the evidence which was proved 
to their satisfaction, to warrant this distinction. 

Here there is no officer who is above the law ; and if any officer 
exceeds his authority, office affiirds no protection for that excess. He 
is the agent of the people, and the law defines the extent of his 
agency, and it is a familiar principle that if an agent exceeds his 
authority, his acts in excess of authority are not binding upon the 
principal, so it is with an officer. Though this is the law. If any 
officer of the State has acted in good faith and for the interest of the 
State, the State ought fully to indenniify the officer ; and, therefore, 
though there is no law which authorized the enlistment of men for 
one or two years after August 1st, 186B, and though there was no 
law which authorized the payment of the -?20, $40, or 'foO head- 
money before January 1st, 18(35, or of the ff'lSO after that date, your 
Committee are of the opinion that the General Assembly should for 
this excess of authority pass a full indemnity. 

In justice, however, to Governor Smith, the Committee would say 
that they do not believe that he has intentionally done anything 
wrong in the recruiting business, or that he has in any way, either 
directly or indirectly, profited therefrom. 

Your Committee cannot, however, but believe that it would have 
been much more for the .interest of the State to have recruited the 
lltli Regiment through the regularly elected staff officers of the State, 
or by the means of agents properly appointed by the State with suffi- 
cient pay to induce them to exert themselves to procure the best 
results for the State. Upon this plan the men would have received 
all the bounty for which they stipulated, and the State would have 
procured the men on the most favorable terms. From the fact that a 
considerable number of the men of this Remment were enlisted for a 
bounty of |50, and from the published reports that regiments were 
raised in Maryland and Pennsylvania respectively for $40,000 and 
$60,000, your Committee cannot doubt but that by a prudent fore- 
sight and economical management, this Regiment might have been 



ON BOUNTY FRAUIJS. 



19 



raised at an expense of less than |300,000, and that between $300,- 
000 and $400,000 might have been well saved to the State in recruit- 
in o; and organizinof this force. 



All of which is respectfully submitted bv 

WM. P. SHEFFIELD. 
ROWSE BABCOCK. 
BENJ'N FINCH, 
EPHRAIM S. JACKSON, 
BENJ. F. THURSTON, 



y Committee. 



RESOLUTION 



REFEERING TO THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE THE MATTER OF 
STATE BOUNTIES. ALSO, THE ACCOUNTS OF CERTAIN STATE 
OFFICERS. 



Resolved, That the Committee on Finance on the part of the 
House be, and it hereby is, instructed to inquire into the mode of 
enlisting men from this State into the service of the United States, 
and of the payment of bounties thereto ; and also, to examine so 
much of the accounts of the late and present Paymaster General, of 
the Quartermaster General, and of the Adjutant General of this 
State, as embraces moneys paid upon orders of His Excellency the 
Governor, and to ascertain for what services or consideration such 
orders were given, and to what purposes the moneys obtained thereon 
have been applied ; and that the testimony taken before the joint 
special committee at the last January session of the General Assembly 
be committed to the said Committee, with authority to the Committee 
to send for persons and papers ; and that said Committee be directed 
to report such evidence as may be taken by them, together with such 
recommendations as they may deem proper, to this House as soon as 
practicable. 



APPENDIX. 



(A) 
. STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Adjutant Genekal's Office, / 
Providence Jan. 2Tth, 1865. \ 
E. S. Jachson, Esq., Providence: 

Dear Sir : — I have the honor to inform you that the following 
number of men have been enlisted for Rhode Island regiments, from 
May 26th, 1863, to this date : 

During the year 1863 2,005 

During the year 1864 1,392 

During the year 1865 123 

Total 3,520 

In addition to- the above there has been enlisted for the regular 
army and other regiments out of the State, credited to Rhode Island 
413, making a grand total of 3,933. The other papers you requested 
are enclosed. 

Very respectfully vour ob't serv't, 

EDWARD C. MAURAN, 

Adjutant G-eneral, 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Adjutant General's Office, ) 

Providence, Feb. 8th, 1865. ^ 

Hon. Wm. P. Sheffield, Providence : 

My Dear Sir : — I have the honor to subjoin an account of the 
State against the United States, relating to quotas upon the several 
calls, and men furnished by the State since April 14th, 1861. It is 
made from the best information which I have ; it is not as accurate 
as I would wish, as some of the quotas are estimated, as well as men 



22 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

furnished for foreign regiments and tlie Navy. Still, I don't think it 
would vary 500 men either way. You will observe that the whole is 
reduced to one year's service. 

Very respectfully, your ob't serv't, 

EDWARD C. MAURAN, 

Adjutant G-enernl. 



(,B) 

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN ACCOUNT WITH THE UNITED STATES. 

Heduced to 
1861. ' Dr. one years 

service. 

April 15. Call for 75,000 three months men. Estimated quota 700 175 

Aug. 3. Call for 500,000 three years men .\ 13,560 

Quota, 4,520 S 

1862. 

July 2. Call for 300,000 three years men. / . . . 

Quota, 2,712...., f 8,136 

Aug. 4. Call for 300,000 nine months men. [ 

Quota, 2,712 \ 2,034 

1863. 

Jan'y 30. Call for 300,000 three years men.? 

Quota, 2,880. (Draft.). .\ 8,640 

1864. 

Feb'y 1. Call for 500,000 three years men to include the call of 300,000 ) 

of October 19th, 1863 . . .' . : \ 10.407 

Quota, 3,469. 



Mar. 14. Call for 200,000 three years men. I 

Quota, 1,388 $ 5,164 

July 18. Call for 500,000 one year men. ) 

Quota, 3,197 f 3,197 

Dec. 20. Call for .300,000 one year men. Estimated Quota, 2,300 2,300 



53,613 
Balance due to the credit of Rhode Island, January 1st, 1865 4,796 



58,409 



Cr. Reduced to 

one year's 
Fimusned to Januari/ 1st, 1865. service. . 

Three years men, (Volunteers) 13,207 39,621 

(Drafted) 160 480 

(Substitutes) 678 2,034 

(Commuted) 458 1,374 

One year " (Volunteers) 391 391 

Nine months " (Volunteers) 2,224 1,668 

Three " " (Volunteers) 3,147 787 

" years " Regular Service and Regiments, I 

out of the State about 900. .. ( 2,700 

Three years men United States Navy, about 2,000 6,000 

Reenlistments for three years, 1,118 3,354 



58,409 
State of Rhode Island, &c.. 
Adjutant General's Office, 

Providence, February 8th, 1865. 

EDWARD C. MAURAN, 

Adjutant General- 



ON BOLKTY FKAUDS. 23 

(Copy. C.) 

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Adjutant General's Office, 

Providence, June 23d, 1863. 
General Orders, No. 19 ; 

I. The bounty of one hundred dollars to men enlisting in the six 
months regiments will be paid as follows : 

Fifty dollars upon being mustered into the service of the United 
States, and fifty doHars upon the arrival of the regiment at such place 
of rendezvous, they may be ordered to report, or in monthly orders 
upon the Paymaster General, if the recruit should so prefer. 

II. The bounty of three hundred dollars to men enlisting in the 
three years regiments will be paid as follows : 

Seventy-five dollars upon being mustered into the service of the 
United States, and two iiundred and twenty-five dollars Avhen they 
have reported at the headquarters of their regiment, or in monthly 
orders upon the Paymaster General, if the recruit should so prefer. 

III. A bounty of ten dollars Avill be paid by the Quartei'master 
General to such persons as may furnish a recruit for a six months or 
a three years regiment or batterj^ upon satisfactory evidence being 
furnished that the recruit has passed a surgical examination, and been 
received into camp. 

By order of the Commander-in-Chief: 

(Signed) EDWARD C. MAURAN, 

Adjutant General. 
Adjutant General's Office, Providence, 23d Jan., 1865. 

Aug. Hoppin, Assistant Adjutant General. 



(Copy. D) 

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Adjutant General's Office, | 

Providence, August 18th, 1863. j 
General Orders, No. 27 : 

I. The raising of the 13th, 14th and 15th Regiments of Infantry 
and the 11th Battery, having been abandoned. General orders Nos. 
16 and 17, current series, from this office, are hereby revoked and 
cancelled. 

All Commissions issued under said orders are hereby annulled. 

II. The Paymaster General is directed, upon the receipt of the 
Pay-Roll, certified by Col. Viall, to pay the recruits enlisted imder 
said orders, the amount due them from the date of their enlistment 
to the date of this order, in accordance with the pay established for 
the army of the United States, together with fifty ($50) dollars of 
the vState bountv. 



24 KEPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

III. Colonel Viall is directed to break up " Camp Smith," and 
turn over to the Quartermaster General such property (including 
uniforms) as may have been received from that department. 
By order of the Commander-in-Chief. 

(Signed) EDWARD C. MAURAN, 

Adjutant Greneral. 



(Copy. E) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Adjutant General's Office, ^ 

Providence, August 11th, 1863. \ 
Sijecial Orders^ No. 75 : — Extract. 

III. The Paymaster General is directed upon the certificate of 
Col. Viall, to pay such recruits of the 13th Regiment as may be 
discharged for the ]nirpose of re-enlisting in a three years regiment, 
the amount of pay due them from the date of enlistment to the date 
of discharge, in accoi'dance with the pay established for the army of 
the United States. 

The State Bounty of $50 to be also ]iaid in addition to the above. 
By order of the Commander-in-Chief. 

(Signed) EDWARD C. MAURAN, 

Adjutant General. 



(Copy. P.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Adjutant General's Office, ] 

Providence, January 2d, 1864. \ 
G-eneral Orders., No. 1 ; 

I. All recruiting appointments heretofore issued by the State are 
hereby countermanded. 

II. Major S. P. Sanford will, in addition to recruiting for his own 
regiment, have the general superintendence of recruiting for the State, 
until further orders. 

HI. All men desiring to recruit for Rhode Island will report to 
Major S. P. Sanford, at No. 10. College street, and receive their ap- 
pointments and instructions. 

IV. A"y oils found recruiting in this State without an appoint- 
ment in accordance with this order will be arrested. 
By order of ihe Commander-in-Chief: 

(Signed) EDWARD C. MAURAN, 

Adjutant Greneral. 
Providence, 23d Jan., 1865. 

Adjutant General's Office, 
A true copy. Aug. Hoppin, 

Assistant Adjutant General. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 25 

(Copy. G.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, 
Providence, September 17th, 1863. 
Col. J. N. Francis, Paymaster General. 

Colonel : — By direction of the Governor you will pay to Major 
Engley on such recruits as he will name for the Fourteenth Regi- 
iment R. I. H. A., fifty dollars, ($50) as an advance payment of the 
bounty, to be taken out of the t^225 payment, whenever the latter 
payment is ordered to be paid. 

You will please report to this department when and on what names 
you make the above payment. 

On Major Engley's presenting receipts for $25 advance bounty, 
you will pay him that sum, and to the men giving those receipts said 
advance Avill not be paid. 

Very respectfully, 
(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Colonel and A. D. C. 



(Copy. H.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, 

Providence, Oct. 28th, 1863. 

Col. J. N. Francis, Paymaster G-eneral : 

Colonel : — You will pay to Major Engley $25.00 advance bounty 

to be taken out of the final payment of $225.00, upon men giving 

orders for the same. You will carry this arrangement out the same 

as the $50.00 one, reporting to this office the names of men so paid. 

Very respectfullv, 

(Signed) ^ CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col and A. D. C. 



(Copy. I.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, 

Providence, Nov. 6th, 1863. 

Col. J. N. Francis, Paymaster G-eneral, R. I. 

Colonel : — You will please pay Major J. C. Engley two hundred 
and fifty dollars each, on account of bounties for fourteen recruits 
(contraijands) from Kentucky and Tennessee, sending names of same 
to this office. 

Very respectfully, your ob't. serv't, 
(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 



26 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

(Copy. J.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, > 

Providence, Nov. 9th, 1863. > 
Col. J. N. Francis, Paymaster General, R. I. M. 

Colonel : — You will please pay on such men ^as may give orders 
for the same, -$75.00 on account of the final installment of bounty, 
upon the same plan and under the same regulations as the $25.00 
and' 150,00. 

Very respectfully, your ob't serv't, 
(Signed) ■ ' CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col.andA.D. C. 



(Copy. K.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, 
Providence, November 2'ith, 1863. 
Colonel J. N. Francis, Paymaster Crcneral. 

Colonel : — You will, by direction of His Excellency the Governor, 
pay for such recruits for the Fourteenth Regiment R. I. H. A. the 
sum of one hundred dollars, their signature authorizing the same ; this 
order under the same restrictions as previous ones. 
Very truly yours, 
(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Colonel and A. D. C. 



(Copy. L.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, December 3d, 1863. \ 
Colonel J. N. Francis, Paymaster Ge^ieral. 

Colonel : — If you are satisfied that the four men — John Cahill, 
Nicholas Green, Richard Howard, John Smith — are contrabands, you 
will pay the $250 to Major Engley, the same as for the previous four- 
teen. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Colonel and A. D. C. 



(Copy. M.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, December 6th, 1863. \ 
Colonel J. N. Francis, Paymaster General. 

C'OLONEL : — You will please to pay for such recruits as may be 
furnished by Major J. C. Engley for the Fourteenth Regiment R. 



ox BOUNTY FRAUDS. 27 

I. H. A., 1100 and $150 respectively, in accordance with tlieir orders, 
and under the same recjulations, as the previous payments of $50, $75, 
&c. I am, General, very respectfully, 

(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Colonel and A. D. C. 



(Copy. M.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, 
Providence, December 16th, 1863. 
Colonel John N. Francu^ Paymaster General. 

Colonel : — You -will please pay to Major J. C. Engley two hun- 
dred dollars of the bounty of the following recruits : 

Wiley Moore, Charles C. Nelson, Thomas Jefferson, John H. Dor- 
sey, George Garner, George Gordon, Joseph W. Johnson, Jack 
Larkin, Edward Sanders; and two hundred and fifty on the following 
(contrabands) : Andy Wesley, Samuel McGowan, Clairborn Tyler. 
I am. General, very respectfully, 
Your obedient servant, 
(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY. 

Colonel and A. D. C. 



(Copy. N) 

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, / 

Providence, Jan. 15th, 1864. \ 

Col. J. JV. Francis, Paymaster G-eneral. 

Colonel : — Please pay for two, (contrabands,) Andrew Garrett 
and Henry Ring, recruits for the 14th R. I. H. A., two hundred 
and fifty dollars, and oblige, 

(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. B. C. 



(Copy. O.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, / 

Providence, March 21st, 1864. \ 

Col. J. N. Francis, Paymaster G-eneral. 

Colonel : — His Excellency directs that you pay to Major J. C. 
Engley for such recruits as may be enlisted by him, for the 14th R. 
I. H. X., whatever balance of $300.00 there may be after allowing 
the amount for which the said recruits agree to enlist for, to their 
credit on your books. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
(Signe"d) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 



28 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

(Copy. N.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

, Executive Department, ) 

Providence, Jan. loth, 1864. \ 

Col. J. JV. Francis, Paymaster General. 

Colonel : — His Excellency the Governor, directs that yon pay to 
Major J. C. Engley ($250.00) two hundred and fifty dollars, on two 
recruits each, (contrabands,) enlisting in the 14th Regiment R. I. H. 
A. (Colored.) 

I am, Colonel, very respectfully, 
(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 



(Copy. N.) 

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, January 28, 1864. ) 

Col. J. N. Francis, Paymaster General: 

Colonel: — Please pay to four recruits for the 14th, who will be 
designated by Major Engley, their whole bounty, $300. 
Very respectfully, 
(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 



(Copy. N.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, March 17th, 1864. j 

Col. J. N. Francis, Paymaster General: 

Colonel: — His Excellency Governor Smith requests you to pay 
to Major J. C. Engley, upon the order of one "contraband," William 
Vance, |300, and upon the order of two do., $250 each, of the State 
Bounty. 

Very respectfully, your obed't ser't, 

(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 29 

(Copy. N.) 

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, | 

Providence, Dec. 9th, 1863. \ 

Col. J. N. Francis^ Paymaster Gfeneral, State of R. I. 

Sir: — You will please pay Major J. C. Engley two hundred and 
fifty dollars each, of the State bounty, for the ten followinor recruits 
(contrabands) enlisting in the 14th Eegiment R. I. H. A., viz. : 

J. Calvin Reed, Jacob Riley, Frank Thompson, Edmund S. Wal- 
lace, George Washington, John Lairs, Charles C. Nelson, Archey 
Kelley, Moses Fry, John Johnson. 

(Signed) JAMES Y. SMITH, aovernor. 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, 

Providence, March 25th, 1864. 

Colonel Jolm N. Francis, Paymaster General. 

Colonel : — His Excellency requests you to pay Lieut. H. F. Ben- 
nett fifty dollars, taking his order on the U. S. Paymaster for same. 

Very truly, 
CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Colonel and A. D. C. 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, 

Providence, March 24th, 1864. 

Colonel John N. Francis, Paymaster General. 

Colonel : — His Excellency requests you to advance to Lieut. 
Charles W. Munroe, Fourteenth R. I. H. A., twenty-five dollars, 
taking his order on U. S. Paymaster for same. 

Very respectfully, 

CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Colonel and A. D. C. 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, 
Providence, 24th February, 1864. 

Colonel John N. Francis, Paymaster General. 

Colonel : — I learn through Major Engley's office that David E. 
Howard was enlisted by him for Quartermaster Pierce. Engley has 



30 REPORT OF THE FTNANCE COMMITTEE 

no charge on record of him. I enclose enlistment paper and certifi- 
cate of muster which will be proof of the correctness of his record. 
His Excellency desires you to pay him one hundred and fifty dol- 
lars of the three hundred dollars State bounty due him. 
I am Colonel, very respectfully, 
Your obedient servant, 
(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Colonel and A. I). C. 

$150. 

Received, Providence, February 24th, 1864, of John N.Francis, Paymaster General, 
6150, in accordance with the enclosed order. 

(Signed) DAVID E. HOWARD. 

[Certificate of enlistment and muster inside.] 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Dep.\rtment, ) 

Providence, 23d March, 1864. \ 

Col, John JV. Francis, Paymaster General: 

Colonel : — His Excellency the Governor requests you to advance 
to Capt. Samuel Farnum, 14th R. I. H. A., one hundred dollars, 
takincr his order on the U. S. Paymaster for the same. 
I am. General, very respectfully and truly, 
(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 
Endorsed receipt on roll 3d Battalion, and order taken on U. S. 
Paymaster, March 23, 1864. 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, March 24, 1864. \ 
Col. John N. Francis, Paymaster Greneral: 

Colonel: — His Excellency the Governor desires you to advance 
to Lieut. Frank I'rost, fifty dollars, taking order on U. S. Paymaster 
for same. 

Very truly, 
(Signed.) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, Jan. loth, 1864. ) 

Col. Jno. N. Francis, Paymaster G-eneral. 

Colonel: — I am directed by his Excellency Gov. Smith, to 
request you to pay the members of the 2d battalion, 14th Regiment 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 31 

R. I. H. A., Seventy-five dollars advance bounty instead of fifty as 
heretofore. This will, of course, reduce the bounty certificates twenty- 
five dollars. 

I am. Colonel, with great regard, 

(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. I). C. 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, \ 

Providence, Dec. 22d, 1863. \ 

Col. John N. Francis, Paymauter Creneral: 

Colonel : — Your letter of the 21st inst. has just been received. 
In reply, His Excellency Gov. Smith, directs you to pay to Major J. 
C. Engley $200.00, on the (21) twenty-one men to whom you refer 
in your communication. 

I am. Colonel, very respectfully, 

(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, Oct. 13, 1863. i 

Col. John N. Francis., Paymaster Creneral : 

Colonel: — By direction of the Governor, you will please pay to 
Wm. M. Bailey, Esq., the $225 bounty of private George Fuller 
Johnson, Co. A, 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 

Very truly, 
(Signed.) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. J). C . 
(Endorsed.) W. M. Bailey. 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, \ 

, Providence, August 14, 1863. j 

Sir: — Please pay to the order of Capt. Fry, the sum of twenty- 
five dollars, on account of the State bounty of -f 300 to each volun- 
teer for three years or for the war for colored company now enlisting. 
(Signed) JAMES Y. SMITH, Coverrior. 

Col. John iV. Francis, Paymaster Creneral, R. I. 



32 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, Aug. 8th, 1863. \ 

Sir : — Please pay to the order of Captain Fry the sum of twenty- 
five dollars, on account of the State bounty of $300 to each volun- 
teer for three years or the war, the list of which is now with you. 

(Signed) JAMES Y. SMITH, aovernor. 

To Col. John JV. Francis, Paymaster General, R. I. 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, | 

Providence, Oct. 23d, 186 . \ 

Col. J. N. Francis, Paymaster Ceneral. 

Colonel: — You Avill please pay to Mr. C. H. Goodenow, |100 
on account of Robert Irons, Co. A, 14th Regiment, $225 bountv, 
taking Irons' receipt for the same. 
Verv respectfully, 

CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. B. G. 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, 17th February, 1864. \ 

Col. J. N. Fra7icis, Paymaster General: 

Colonel: — His Excellency the Governor directs that you will 
pay the Third Battalion, 14th R. I. H. A., the second installment 
(seventy-five dollars) of bounty due them. 
Very respectfully, 

^ CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 33 

TESTIMONY OF REV. FREDERIC DENISON. 

February 2d, 1865. 

Question. Have you been connected in any way with any of the 
Rhode Island Regiments during the term of the present rebelhon ? 

Answer. I was connected with the First Rhode Ishand Cavahy, 
from the autumn of 1861, until the middle of January, 1863, and 
from that date, I was transferred to the Third Rhode Island Artillery, 
and remained with them until the 4th of October, when the major 
part of the regiment was mustered out. I was chaplain all this time 
in these two regiments ; I was also an assistant Allotment Commis- 
sioner in the Third R. I. Artillery ; was commissioned as such on 
the 4th of December, 1863, and continued as such until I was mus- 
tered out. 

Q. State what you know, if anything, in reference to the pay- 
ment of bounties to men, or any frauds, or evil practices, practised on 
them in any way ? 

A. My knowledge in regard to those matters is confined to the 
Veterans, as they are termed, or re-enlisted men of the 3d Regiment. 
To get at the matter, I will have to explain. The State agreed to pay 
to these re-enlisted men 8300, a part of it when they should reach 
home on their furlough, which they received on their re-enlistment, 
and the balance when they should report to their command again in 
the field. These re-enlisted men came on with their furloughs, and 
received a part which the State had promised to pay them here ; the 
balance, in some cases $200, and in others $150, was to be paid to 
them by the paymasters of the State through the State Allotment 
Commissioner, when they should report to their commands in the 
field. As I have stated, it is with these portions of the bounties that 
I am acquainted, and these only. 

The State issued bounty certificates for this balance. These cer- 
tificates are large documents, in the following form : Here at the 
top is a certificate, signed by the Paymaster General, certifying that 
A. B., of such a company, such a regiment, is a re-enlisted veteran, 
and there is due to him $200, — ■ signed by the Paymaster General. 
Just below it is a certificate to be filled by the Adjutant, certifying 
that this man, above named, has returned to his regiment and is on 
the rolls duly for duty. On the back is a blank order, to be filled 
and signed by the soldier himself. This certificate is of no value 
until the Adjutant has signed it, and the man himself; then it is money 
to him. But the State does not owe it to him, according to its face, 
until the Adjutant had tilled that blank which certified he was there. 
What I regard as wrong, was the manner in which these certificates 
were handled ; there were different methods pursued by the Paymas- 
ter General in issuing and settling them. Some, due nearly a year, 
are not paid yet, on account of obstacles that have been thrown in 
the way. It seems that while the veterans were at home, there were 
certain bounty brokers who proposed to purchase the bounties of these 
men. In many cases, these men testified that they were intoxicated 



84 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

when this bargain was entered intd ; some went throngh a form of 
sale, and some of them gave a note of hand to these individuals, from 
whom they received money; others gave a kind of order, — I have 
seen two of them, — a singular sort of order on the Paymaster, order- 
ing him to pay what was due to them to these brokers ; other men, 
who never sold their bounty certificates, and never thought of selling 
them, found them claimed by brokers. Some of these men have been 
paid, and some have not been paid ; the thing is all mixed np. I being- 
Assistant Allotment Commissioner, these were sent to me to be paid. 
When it was all clear, and the Paymaster had simply filled his certifi- 
cate, and there was nothing on the back of it to encumber it, I car- 
ried it to the Adjutant and had him fill his part of it, and then to the 
man and said, fill that as you please ; and such bounties I promptly 
paid. 

I said, make them payable to A. D. Smith, Sd, and I will pay you 
in greenbacks or allotment checks, every cent of it. I know that 
Commissioner Smith can get it from the treasury, because the moneys 
of the treasury are payable to his order ; if you make it payable to a 
broker, I don't know that Commissiener Smith will acknowledge it ; 
there is no reason why you should not pay it to him ; then it is cer- 
tain that you get every cent. When I came to these encumbered 
certificates, I said, I don't understand this ; this says, pay to Kimball, 
or S. S. Lapham, or wlioever it might be ; if you make it payable to 
them, I cannot advance you anything until I am satisfied that this is 
a bona fide transaction, and that the State does not have to pay this 
again. I must see that the State is defended, and that you are. 

I wrote on immediately to inquire what these entries meant on the 
back. For the paymaster had, eitlier himself or his clerk, (it makes 
no diiference ; he owns it was his doings,) in this order on the back, 
scratched out the words "or bearer," and put in Jastram, S. S. Lap- 
ham, A. J. Kimball, or whoever he thought he had reason to. I 
hesitated about paying these until I could ascertain what Avas the 
validity of these transactions referred to here. For they sent me no 
writings, no certificates testifying that there had been any legal trans- 
action in the case. I wrote on for them, but they did not furnish any 
claim. I said, will you furnish sworn copies of them. You cannot 
expect me to be paying the State's money without some authority. I 
know what the State intended by its legislation and its statutes. This 
is another channel, and I am not going into it. 

There were some men whose certificates were not encumbered in 
their bounties ; some were encumbered by false claims ; and I have 
proved the claims to be false. They have had to erase the names 
and pay the men. 

There are other cases that are, in my opinion, susceptible of proof, 
that the claims are wrong. And there Avere a few names, I do not 
know how many, who negotiated for their bounties with E. A. Taft 
& Co., and they gave them (E, A. Taft & Co.) power of attorney to 
settle them. Of course that settled the matter ; but in no case did 
I understand that persons not having power of attorney had authority 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 36 

to touch the orders on the certificates. I was informed so by the 
present Attorney General of the State, the past Attorney General, 
and all the legal authority I could consult, and that is the judgment 
of all so far as I know to-day. Still they urged me to get these men 
to sign them ; I refused and did not do it ; and when I became satis- 
fied that these men had, in some cases, never given power of attorney, 
and was informed by the Attorney General of the State, and all 
other legal gentlemen, that the entries on the orders on the certificates 
Avere not binding any more than if they had been made on a board 
Avith a piece of chalk, — had no legal validity, — I said to the soldiers, 
if you have borrowed money of any gentleman, you must pay that 
some day ; I will show you how you can do it. If you will make 
the bounty certificate payable to A. D. Smith, 3d, it is worth that 
amount any moment, and I will pay it by giving you an allotment 
check, payable to the bounty broker of whom you got money. 
But to do it in the shape recommended here, is contrary to law and 
I Avill not be implicated in any unlawful transactions whatever. 

That created a great deal of displeasure among parties here at 
home. I found that even His Excellency was greatly displeased. 
When I talked with him, on October 26th, he told me himself, to my 
great surprise, that he had said to the bounty brokers who came to 
him when they were about to negotiate for these certificates, and 
wanted to know if they could be sure of their pay if they advanced 
the money, that the bounties should in such cases, be paid to them ; 
that he told the Paymaster General to see that these bounty brokers 
were paid. Well, of course, he was displeased with the course I had 
pursued. I did not know that he had ever issued any such order. 
In fact, he did not issue such an order ; it was a mere verbal state- 
ment. If it had been a Avritten order, I do not knoAV that I should 
have obeyed it, because it contravened, as I understood it, the law of 
the State. I need not add that inducements were oifered me to get 
these things through, and inducements have been offered to others, as 
I am informed. 

Q. State what inducements ? 

A. Mr. S. S. Lapham had a large number of claims, which I have 
an account of in my pocket, and they were sent to me through a Mr. 
Dearth, who acted for him. I knew that at the time, although it 
came through the writing of Mr. Dearth — over his signature. He 
says : " As you may be at a little expense for postage, &c.," (and I 
was, for postage and paper, 71 cents,) but he sent me a flO bill to 
meet that. Well, I conjectured what the (flO meant, and I sent it 
back, or rather, I sent back $9 75, and took but 25 cents to pay for 
my 71 cents. I meant to be on the safe side. 

Then the Allotment Commissioner Avho succeeded me in the De- 
partment of the South, Major Munroe, I learned from a letter from 
Morris Island, and also from Mr. Smith, the present State Commis- 
sioner, and Mr. Munroe himself has admitted, that he, in behalf of 
brokers, offered the soldiers from $5 to $15 apiece to sign these papers. 
I state this to show that the original entries were regarded by the 



36 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

officers of this State as invalid. In foot, when I came home, I went 
to Paymaster General Francis, and said : " We Avant to do what is 
right. Do _you regard these entries made upon the back as legally 
binding upon the soldiers ? " He said : " No ; not exactly legally 
binding. I put them in to accommodate. If the soldiers had a mind 
to sign them, it was all right." And they have endeavored to rule 
these as valid ; and it is on that ground that the Governor has refused 
to pay me one penny compensation for over $100,000 I handled for 
this State. I have the names of the bounty brokers and the names of 
the soldiers, if any of these are Avanted. 1 think I stated that some of 
these I paid, Avhere the soldiers requested an allotment check payable 
to the broker. 

Mr. Dispeau is one and Mr. Lapham is another. 

Where the soldiers requested it, I did just as they said. It was 
their business if they wished to throw away their money or give it to 
somebody else. 

When they were unwilling to sign, I persuaded no farther. I 
told them distinctly that I did not understand the entries to be of a 
legal character. I told them in no case to be dishonest. I knew 
there were dishonest men among them. Mr. Lapham told me that 
one of them had sold his certiKcate six or seven times before he sold 
it to him. I knew the soldiers were sometimes pretty big rogues. 
That was why I was determined I would not be implicated. The 
soldier, being a rogue, would come back upon the State for second 
payment, or would- enter another claim against the State to recover it. 

Here is a sample of cases : 

Co. A. Reuben P. Wright says he was disguised by liquor. Re- 
ceived $75 for his bounty certificate for $150. Bounty certificate 
claimed by Jos. J. Ripley. 

Co. B. Elisha H. Crosby says he was intoxicated. Received $100 
for his $150 ; gave note of hand. Was killed Aug. 4, 1864, and 
leaves a widowed mother. Bounty certificate claimed by J. E. 
Dispeau. 

Co. B. Fred. N. Comstock says he was intoxicated! Received 
$75 of an unknown person. Bounty certificate claimed by J. E. 
Dispeau. 

Co. B. Jonathan Shaw says he was intoxicated. Received $100 
for his $150. Bounty certificate claimed by Mr'. Eddy, (J. P. Eddy), 
liquor dealer in Providence. 

Co. B. Byron Allen says he was intoxicated. Received $100 for 
his $150. Bounty certificate claimed by J. P. Eddy. 

Co. B. William H. Pratt says he was intoxicated. Received 
$100 for his $150 ; gave note of hand to a Mr. Fiske. Bounty cer- 
tificate claimed by A. A. Kimball. 

Co. D. Edwin Soule never negotiated, as has been proved, 
county certificate was claimed by A. A. Kimball. 

Co. D. Charles H. Rouse never negotiated, as has been proved. 
Bounty certificate was claimed by J. E. Dispeau. 



ON BOUNTY FKAUDS. , 37 

Co. D. Edwin A. Irons says he never negotiated. Bounty cer- 
tificate claimed by J. A. Jastram. 

Co. D. Hugh Bruce says lie never negotiated. His bounty cer- 
tificate was claimed by E. A. Taft & Co., and an entry was made in 
his certificate by Paymaster Francis, while E. A. Taft & Co. had a 
professed power of attorney to do the same thing ; yet it is thought 
that Hugh Bruce never negotiated his bounty. He takes oath that 
he never did. 

Co, D. James C. Haskins says he was intoxicated ; don't know 
what he signed. His bounty certificate claimed by L. S. Chase. 

Co. D. Patrick Boyle says he was intoxicated. His bounty cer- 
tificate claimed by J. A. Jastram. 

Co. D. John T. Newcomb says he was in liquor. Gave note of 
hand. His bounty certificate claimed by R. H. Greene. 

Co. E. AVilliam Dunham negotiated with a Mr. Stokes. His 
bounty certificate claimed by A. A. Kimball. 

Co. E. Samuel Beaumont gave a note of hand to Arthur Gard- 
iner, but his bounty certificate is claimed by Arthur G. Gardiner. 
There is even a legal defect in this note of hand. 

Co. H. Henry F. Thornton says he was in liquor. Received $90 
of a Mr. Stokes for his $'150. His bounty certificate claimed by A. 
A. Kimball. 

Co. H. Silas Whitaker says he was in liquor ; does not know 
Avith whom he transacted business. His bounty certificate claimed 
by Jos. J. Ripley. 

These cases are sufiicient for illustration. 

The testimony of the men was that they were intoxicated. Some 
of them received $75 for $150, some $100 for $150. In the case of 
Edwin Soule, his bounty was claimed. It has been ])roved that he 
never had sold. The broker himself acknowledged that he had no 
legal claim ; so Edwin Soule has been paid. Charles H. Rouse is 
another case where the claim has been proved to be false, and I paid 
the soldier. Edwin Irons is not paid. He affirms that he never sold, 
and I have reason to beheve it so. Theodore M. Barnes is another 
case where the claim has been proved to be unfounded. The Pay- 
master had entered the name ot Jastram in the bounty certificate, 
and Jastram said that he never had that man's bounty. He drew 
out a writing and swore to it. In that way, Barnes is in a fair way to 
recover his bounty. How the entry came there of course I have no 
knowledge. I would state that I wrote repeatedly for the legal evi- 
dence of these previous transactions, but could never get any at all. 

Q. Di4 you bring this to the attention of the Executive? 

A. I brought it to the attention of the State Commissioner, whose 
subordinate I was. I served under him, and had to do everything 
through him. I was, in fact, by his own decision, and that of the 
Attorney General, not authorized to receive and transmit moneys to 
anybody but to him. I supposed at the time that my course was per- 
fectly agreeable to His Excellency. 



38 REPORT OF riNAISCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Did you bring it to the attention of the Governor at any time ? 

A. On the 26th of October I had quite a lengthy interview with 
the Governor upon this matter ; and there I learned, for the hrst 
time, although I had been Assistant Allotment Commissioner so long, 
and handled so much money, I learned for the first time that he 
(for he stated it himself) had told Paymaster General Francis to see 
that these bounty brokers were paid. 

Said I : " Was that an order you issued ?" Said he : "Yes ; I 
told him so." Said I : " Did you write an order and publish it?" 
He said : " No." Said I : " Did you regard it as an order binding ?" 
" Certainly," said he. Said I : " Then it was very unjust tliat I 
should not have known it, when it was a matter that governed tlie 
business I was conducting. I have been acting since last spring, and 
have just known of it. I called his attention to this thing, and un- 
folded the whole of it. I told him that if this course was pursued in 
future, the State would have to pay these bounties twice. I knew 
persons who would enter claims a second time. And immediately 
upon that, the Stale commissioner did issue an order that no more 
bounties should be transferred and sold until after the soldiers reach 
the field. Then they could throw their bounties away, or do what 
they pleased with them. The whole thing dropped then. 

In averaging the claims of one bounty broker, I find that, for $725 
he expected to realize $1,100, or fifty-one per cent, on his investment. 
Another expected for $1,970, to realize $2,700, or thirty-seven per 
cent, on his investment. In some cases the brokers appear to have 
bargained for one hundred per cent, on their investment. In a few 
cases the soldiers gave to the broker power of attorney to fill the 
orders on their bounty certificates. In other cases they gave, as they 
supposed, simple notes of hand. In other cases they signed a receipt 
and professed order on the Paymaster General. In many cases the 
soldiers testify that they were intoxicated when they raised moneys 
of the brokers, and do not know what kind of papers they signed. 
A number of soldiers Avho made no manner of negotiation, and 
desired th make none, found their bounty certificates claimed by 
brokers. 

Paymaster Francis stated to me that he made the entries of the 
names of brokers in the orders on the bounty certificates, without 
power of attorney to do so, and that he regarded the entries as desti- 
tute of legal force ; they were made simply to accommodate the 
brokers. Governor Smith stated to me that he told Paymaster 
Francis to see that the brokers received the bounties for which they 
had negotiated. 

I was informed by gentlemen who have filled the office of Attorney 
General of this State, that the entries made in the orders on the 
bounty certificates by Paymaster Francis, were destitute of legal 
validity, since the soldiers had not given him power of attorney to 
fill the orders on said certificates. I believed then, as I believe now, that 
the orders on the bounty certificates were to be filled and signed by 
the soldiers themselves, or by the person to whom they had given 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 89 

power of attorney ; tliis was the only legal method of proceeding 
with them ; any other method opened doors for frauds as facts 
have proved. Some bounties due last May are yet unpaid. Un- 
doubtedly some soldiers have intended to defraud certain brokers. I 
proceeded upon the legislation and statutes of the State, holding my- 
self strictly to these, and understood that it was the duty of all the 
officers and agents of the State, charged Avitli the payment of boun- 
ties, to see that the bounties Avere paid to the soldiers, or to those who 
had received from them power of attorney in the methods prescribed 
by the State ; a's a State agent, I would have nothing to do with the 
payment of the private accounts of soldiers by the moneys of the 
State ; I settled State accounts only. 

I received and transmitted to the State Allotment Commissioner 
cash and drafts amoimting to -f 102,381 00. I paid bounties amount- 
ing to $32,650 00. In no case did I disobey the instructions or 
known will of the State Allotment Commissioner, under whom I 
acted as an assistant. As yet, I have not received a cent of compen- 
sation for my time, labor and risks in handling said monejs. I re- 
ceived the Avritten opinion of the State Allotment Commissioner and 
of the Attorney General, that I could make remittances of moneys 
and their equivalents, only to the State Allotment Commissioner, 
hence I refused to make remittances to brokers. I do not doubt that 
many soldiers raised moneys from the brokers on the strength of their 
prospective bounties ; but as, except in certain cases where they gave 
the broker power of attorney, I had no legal evidence of any such 
transactibn, and could obtain none. I refused to acknowledge the 
validity of the professed claims, that I might avoid complicity with 
unauthorized transactions ; and these professed claims have been pro- 
nounced invalid. I think thei'e was but one legal, simple, safe 
method of paying the bounties — the one prescribed by the legislature 
and statutes of the State; other methods have, resulted in cases of in- 
justice and deception, and innocent men have suffered. In a num- 
ber of cases, the names entered on the orders on the bounty certifi- 
cates, are not the names of the brokers who dealt with the soldiers ; 
certain persons seem to have transacted business in the names of 
others. 

I was promised a compensation for my services as Assistant Allot- 
m'ent Commissioner, but all compensation has been withheld by verbal 
direction of Governor Smith, because I would not admit the validity 
of- the entries in the orders on the bounty certificates made by Pay- 
master Francis, when he had no power of attorney to make such 
entries, and because I allowed seven soldiers to erase the entries and 
fill their orders as they pleased, according to the intention of the State. 
I never heard of the Governor's verbal order to Paymaster Francis, 
in regard to the entries in fiivor of the brokers, until the Governor 
stated the fact to me on October 26th, after I had left the service. I 
never before knew that the State bounties were to be paid on verbal 
orders ; I supposed that the pay department was controlled by estab- 
lished rules and forms. 



40 REPORT OV FINANCE COMMITTEE 

TESTIMONY OF GEN. DEWITT C. REMINGTON. 

January 30, 1865. 

Question. You are Quartermaster General of the State ? 

Answer. I am, and have been smee the 2(3th of March ; I entered 
upon my duties the 28th of March. 

Q. Please state what bounties and what head money, you have 
paid for recruits, which have been enlisted from this State into the 
service of the United States since that time? 

A. When I first came into the office, the original head money 
was flO, and the Governor issued an order upon which we com- 
menced paying for the Third Cavalry, $50. I don't recollect when it 
was issued — within a day or two after I came into the office. I think it 
commenced about the 1st of April ; about that time. It Avas not 
issued through the Adjutant General's office. There is no order 
through the Adjutant General's office to me, in regard to paying head 
money on men. 

Q. When was that enlarged, if at all ? 

A. It was not enlarged for that organization ; not for the Third 
Cavalry. Fifty dollars was the head money from that time until the 
Third Cavalry was filled up. But outside organizations did not re- 
ceive that bounty ; none but that organization at that time. The 
other arms of the service did not receive it. They received •$ 10 ; the 
original bounty. After that, when they commenced recruiting for the 
Second Regiment, they commenced with paying a $20 bounty to the 
Second Regiment for one year. I think that at the time they com- 
menced paying that $20, those who went through the Provost Mar- 
shal's office, and for three years, had $50, At the Provost Marshal's 
office, it was $20 for one year, and $50 for three years. For the 
Second Regiment they went in for only one year, and the bounty was 
$20. But soon after, they commenced recruiting for the Second 
Regiment, they commenced paying Col. Jenckes an additional $50 on 
every man enlisted, besides this $20, making $70 for one year. They 
had enlisted but few men when they commenced paying this to Col. 
Jenckes. Say, for instance, his recruiting officer would come down 
with the recruiting papers, and get $20, and he would come down with 
a bill approved by the Governor for $50 more on the same men. 
They had the camp for this organization at Mashapaug. The runner 
would get $20, • and Col. Jenckes himself $50 in addition. The 
money was paid to Col. Jenckes in addition to the $20. I don't 
know what he did with it. That made $70 a man after they com- 
menced paying the $50. 

Q. Who enlisted these men ? was it Col. Jenckes or the runner ? 

A. Most generally somebody else enlisted them. Some of the 
time, of course, he would bring the bills and get the $20 on the 
special account, as well as the $50 on the recruiting account. (That 
is tlie reason why there is some misunderstanding about the account ; 
the $50 was put on the recruiting service account, and the $20 on 
the special account. We used to make two accounts, because they 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 41 

came in a special account. Nobody else, at that time could get this 
$50 but Col. Jenckes, and the runner did not get the ioO. We had 
no authority to pay it to anybody but Col. Jenckes. No head money 
was paid unless the bill was first approved at the Governor's office. 
Previously, we paid the 810 head money on general order, when the 
enlistment papers and everything else were proper. After they 
raised from that price, Ave did not pay any bill unless first approved by 
the Executive Department. My course has been this : the bills ap- 
proved by the Aid de Ca\np, I carried up and had the Governor's 
name nut on them. I thouo-ht it would do no hurt to have both 
names. The Governor has approved in person all the bills up to the 
1st of January. 

Q. Was any other person having this extra bounty charged to 
the recruiting service ? 

A. After a short time Col. Tompkins came on here to recruit for 
the artillery, and he had $60 a head in addition to the $20. If the 
man was put in for three years, the Provost Marshal's certificate was 
$50, and he had $30 on the top of that, Avhich would make $110. If 
a one year man, it would be $80. That was paid to Col. Tompkins. 
He did not recruit but a few men, when he left, and somebody else 
took it. When he left, Mr. Starkey took his place, and he had $50. 
(He is a recruiting officer and has been here a considerable while.) 
When Col. Tompkins left they commenced paying $60 to Mr. Star- 
key For one year $80 ; ?'. e. $20 for Provost Marshal's certificate, 
and an order for $60 ciiarged to the recruiting service. 

Q. Could anybody else get this $80 but Mr. Starkey ? Had you 
any orders to pay it to anybody else. 

A. I think at that time there Avas no one else that received it but 
him. 

Q. Did Mr. Starkey enlist the men, or did the runners ? 

A. That I don't know. I believe somebody else did fully as 
much as he did. I can't say whether he did anything about it. I 
have little opportunity of knowing. My office is down street. I am 
not up here a great deal. The next man that had $60 was Mr. 
Francis (John N.). He came in on the same lay, and had the same 
as Mr. Starkey. 

Q. About how many men did Mr. Starkey receive $60 for 'i 

A. I cannot tell exactly. I could if I had the report. I cannot 
carry the number of men in my mind. I should think perhaps 100. 
Then Mr. Francis ; he had $60. He did not enlist a very large 
number of men. I could not tell how many he enlisted and received 
$60 for without the report. The report shows all. I can take the. 
report and show you everything you want to know. We cannot 
give it without running away back. Everything is there in proper 
form. The next man that received it was Major Engley. ^ 

Q. For how many did Major Engley receive it ? 

A. Not for a very large number. They did not commence till 
later along. Starkey, I think, put in the most men under that order. 
There was the United States man, Occleston ; all of his men were 
for three years, 

6 



42 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. What was the special bounty ? 

A. There was one instance where he received the same. That 
was on one bill where he received $Q0 in addition. I do not recollect 
the number of men. It was $60 in addition to the 8'')0, which made 
$110. There was one instance of that case. In other times he re- 
ceived $40 in addition to the |)50 whicli made $90 for three years 
men. During this time, Col. Francis, Capt. Starkey, and Major Eng- 
ley were receiving $110 for three years men. Upon a one year man 
they received $60, which was charged tc the recruiting fund, and 
$20 for a special bounty, which made $80, wliile Lieut. Occleston 
for a three years man received $90 — $50 special bounty, and $40 
charged to the recruiting service. There might besides have been 
outsiders that received it for outside service. 

Q. If a man had come to you with a.certificate from the Provost 
Marshal's office, — one of these runners, — how much would you have 
paid for that certificate ? 

A. I should have paid the face of the certificate, if approved by 
the Governor ; nothing more. 

Q. How much money has been paid which has been charged to 
this special recruiting service fund ? 

A. I suppose very nearly $150,000 ; not quite perhaps. 

Q. Then that sum has been paid to persons who were agents, and 
who did not enlist a man. 

A. That is, a great portion of it ; to such men as Capt. Starkey, 
and Col. Jenckes. That is up to the first of January, Since the 
first of January the Provost Marshal's certificate is $150, and Major 
Engley, Capt. Starkey, Cols. Jenckes and Francis $200. Since the 
first of January there have no Provost Marshal's certificates come 
into my hands. They have gone to the office of the Governor. The 
bills have been made out, sent to him, and approved at $200 a head. 
That is for these men, — Starkey, Jenckes, Engley and Francis. 
Those four have received $200 a head. I have received no Provost 
Marshal's certificates since that time. 

Q. How many men have been enlisted, and how many certifi- 
cates paid since the 1st of January ? 

A. I su])pose it has been somewhere in the neighborhood of three 
hundred. They have not put in all of them. Lieutenant Occlestone 
has put in some of them, and he has received $150, a piece for three 
years men. One or two other parties have done it. Lawyer E. H. 
Hazard put in one man and got $150 for him ; and I don't know but 
one or two others have ])ut them in. I don't remember who they 
were now. Mr. Hazard's man was not ])ut in as a substitute for him- 
self. We paid him $150 head money. I think we paid that on a 
certificate of the Provost Marshal. I think I was wrong in stating 
that there had no Provost Marshal's certificates came into my liands, 
but none where there has been more than $150 paid. Then, of 
course, Col. Francis put in one hundred men down to Newbern, and 
received fifty-one hundred dollars. Then there is the Navy ; I have 
not said anything about that. Tliose put in at Boston, have received 
since the 1st of January. The bills were sent to me receipted 



ox BOUNTY FRAUDS. 43 

by a man by the name of Peck. I paicl the money to a young man 
from the Governor's office. They keep him there : I don't know his 
name. He sent the bills down and ordered the money sent up there 
on these bills. 

Q. How many men for the navy ? 

A. I don't know exactly how many. We can give you all the 
particulars since the 1st of January, and the others on the Report. 
Then there are some naval recruits from Newport. He received I 
think $150. I will make a written statement of what we have done 
since the 1st of January, and what we have done in recruiting. The 
main ones I carry in my mind. 

DEWITT C. REMINGTON, 

Quartermaster G-eneral, State of R. I. 

Number of men recruited hy sundry parties since January 1, 1865. 

L. T. Starkey 78 men. 

J. C. Engley 54 " 

J.N.Francis 1 " 

H. C. Jenckes 49 " 

W. B. Occleston 62 " 

J. Angell 14 " 

D. J. Pearce 55 " 

D. C. Miner 25 " 

.J.Green 8 " 

E. H. Hazard 1 " 

M.E. Hatch 7 " 

A.W.Corliss 2 " 

G. Thayer , 1 " 

Total 357 men. 



GEN. DEWITT C. REMINGTON.— Recalled. 

Tuesday, February 14th, 1865. 

Q. I notice in your report, or exhibit, annexed to your testimony 
the other day, that you paid the bounties for several men in January 
more than are returned as having been enlisted during that month, 
and I should like for you to make some explanation. 

A. The fact was, after the 1st of January I did not receive the 
certificates. The bills were made out and approved without any cer- 
tificates coming to me approved by the executive department. The 
evidence of enlistment was in the Governor's office in room of being 
in mine after the 1st of January. I received only five certificates. I 
have the names of every man, and will produce them and annex them 
to this deposition. I had the names of all the men put in, rnd who 
put them in. 

Q. Do you know whether or not any of these men were enlisted 
in December ? 

A. I have no positive information, because I have not the papers 
in my possession. My opinion would bo another thing. Positive 
information is one thing, and opinion another. 

Q. Do you know what the discrepancy is ? 



44 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. No, sir ; I do not know what the real discrepancy is ? 

Q. Are there as many as 100? 

A. I should think there is not as many as 100, but I dont't know. 
Sometimes, when tbey are put into the navy I suppose it is not paid 
in some little time afterwards. We have the dates when we paid for 
the men, not the dates of the enlistment and muster; those would be 
in the Governor's office, of course, or such as went through the Provost 
Marshal's office would be in that office. Some of the men were put 
into the navy. In making that list they would specify that they did 
go in the navy. 

Q. You say you cannot say when you paid for the 100 more men 
in January than were mustered into service ? 

A. Those facts I don't know anything about. It did not come 
to my knowledge, because after the 1st of January the certificates 
did not come to me. I received only five from the 1st of January up 
to the time that report run. The five I received were issued after- 
wards. 

Q. Through whom did they come ? 

A. They came approved from the executive department. They 
came from individuals, the main recruiting officers did not bring any 
certificates of enlistments to me after the 1st of January, except two 
from H. 0. Jenckes. Those were not approved, but a bill came with 
them approved for two hundred dollars each. 

Q. Tliere were two items in your account annexed to your testi- 
mony under date of January 5th, amounting to $12,000. 

A. Captain Starkey and Major Engley were paid, the one for 29 
men and the other for 31 men on the 5th of January, ma^iing 60 that 
the two put ill. 

Q. Were these men enlisted in December or January ? 

A. I have not the facts, all I know is that I have paid for them 
on the 5th of January. The Pi'ovost Marshal's certificate would tell, 
of course. 



List of Amounts Expended since January/ 1, 1865, for Account of 

Bounty, <j''t\ 

1865. 

Jan. 2— Paid J. N. Francis, for expenses of self and S. P. Sanford, visiting 

several towns on business connected with enrollment $107 22 

" " C. 0. Dyer for services corrrecting enrollment 37 00 

" " W. B. Occleston, 7 men for loth 'infantry 350 00 

" « W. ] J. Occleston, for expenses recruiting 7 men, loth infantry 280 00 

" J. Angell, 4 men for H. C 800 00 

" " J. N. Francis, expenses recruiting 1 man for navy 60 00 

" " Major Z. C. Kennie, this amount advanced on bounty ac- 
count, by order of Governor ^ ^ 7000 00 

" " J. N. Francis, on account of bounty, order of Governor 10,000 00 

Jan. 4— " H, C. Jenckes, 2 men for 2d vols 400 00 

" " D. C. Miner, 5 men for navy •• •• 420 00 

" A. W. Corliss, 2 men 300 00 

«' " W. B. Occleston, 4 men for 15th infantry 540 00 

Jan. 5— " L. T. Starkey, 31 men V. A. regiments 0200 00 

" J. C. Fngley, 29 men for do 5900 00 

" f W. B. Occleston, 2 men, 15th infantry 300 00 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 45 

Jan. 5— Paid H. C. Jenckes, 4 men, 2d vols 780 00 

Jan. 6. . " S. P. Sanford. order of Governor 200 00 

" D. J. Pearce, 21 men, navy ... 4200 00 

'• " W. B. Occleston, 2 men, 1.5th infantry 300 00 

Jan. 7 — Paid H. C. Jenclies, 2 men for 2d volunteers 400 00 

" J. Angcdl, 3 men for II. C 600 00 

" " A. C. Greene, for printing Enrollment Lists of tOAvns 436 92 

Jan. 9— " W. B. Occleston, 8 men for 15th infantry 1200 00 

" " J. C. Engley, 7 men for va. regiments 1400 00 

" " S. P. Sanford, for Supt. recruitmg for 5 months to Jan. 20th. . 1125 00 

" D. J. Pearce, 12 men for navy 2400 00 

" " L. T. Starkey, 10 men for va. reaiments 2000 00 

Jan. 10— " do. 4 men, for II. C ^. 800 00 

" H. C. Jenckes, 2 men for 2d volunteers 400 00 

" " E. G. Burroughs, on account of enrollment, by order of Gov. 500 00 

Jan. 11 — " H. B. Billings, horse hire for S. P. Sanford and J. N. Francis, 

on account of enrollment 31 00 

" G. Thaver, for self in 29tli Mass 25 00 

" W. B. Occleston, 10 men for 15tii infantry 1500 00 

" E. H. Hazard, 1 man for U. S. C. C 150 00 

" H. C. Jenckes, 8 men for 2d volunteers 1600 00 

" J. Angell, 1 man for H. C 200 00 

Jan. 12 — •' H. C. Jenckes, 4 men for 2d volunteers 800 00 

" " J. C. Engley, 6 men for va. regiments 1200 00 

" " M. E. Hatch, 7 men, navy 310 00 

Jan. 13— " H. C. Jenckes, 3 men 600 00 

" " L. T. Starkey, 9 men, va. regiments 1800 00 

" " J. Green, 1 man, navy 150 00 

Jan. 13— " D. J. Pearce, 15 men, navy 3000 00 

Jan. 14— " H. C. Jenckes, 3 men 600 00 

" " Col. A. D. Smith, 3d, to be forwarded to J. T. Benedict, for 

bountj', account, order of Governor 5000 00 

" " C. O. Dyer, for services correcting enrollment, 12 days 36 00 

Jan. 16— " W. B. Occleston, 8 men 15th infantry 1200 00 

" J. Angell, 1 man, H. C 200 00 

" " J. W. Wright, services and expenses correcting enrollment, 

Scituate .■ 198 05 

" " J. W. Wright, for transportation on account of enrollment. . . 6 10 

" " J. Green, 3 men, navy 450 00 

" •' J, Nichols, expenses to and from Boston, account of enlist- 
ments 21 80 

Jan. 17 — " L. T. Starkey, 7 men for various regiments 1400 00 

" " D. J. Pearce, 4 men nav}- 800 00 

" H. C. Jenckes, 4 men, 2d volunteers 800 00 

" J. Angell, 1 man, H. C 200 00 

Jan. 18— " J. Angell, 2 men, do 400 00 

" " E. G. BurroAvs, account of enrollment, order of Governor. .. 500 00 

" " A. Anthony, printing for do 98 00 

" " J. C. Engley, 5 men, for various regiments 1000 00 

" " H. H. Thomas & Co., for printing, on account of enrollment. . 666 48 

Jan. 18— Paid H. C. Jencks, 5 men 1000 00 

•' W. B. Ocdeston, 4 men 15th infantry 600 00 

" J. Angell, 2 men, H. C 400 00 

Jan. 19— " L. T. Starkey, 7 men va. regiments 1400 00 

Jan. 20— " 1). C. Miner, 20 men, navy 3000 00 

" J. N. Francis, 1 man 1st A. C 200 00 

" " W. H. Greene, expenses correcting enrollment 97 15 

" " J. Green, 4 men, navy 600 00 

" " AV. B. Occleston, 13 men, 15th infantry • 1890 00 

Jan. 21— " H. C. Jenckes, 5 men 1000 00 

" D. J. Pearce, 3 men, navy 600 00 

" " J. C. Engley, 7 men, va. regiments 1400 00 

Jan. 23— " L. T. Starkey, 10 men, va. regiments 2000 00 

" " H. C. Jenckes, 7 men, 2d volunteers 1400 00 

Jan. 2.5— " E. G. Burrows, account of enrollment, by order of Governor. 500 00 

Jan. 26— " W. B. Occleston, 4 men, 15th infantry 600 00 

Total expended $91,125 72 



46 



REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

QUAKTERMASTER GeNERAl's OfFICE, | 

Providence, January 31, 1865. ) 
Hon. W. P. Sheffield, Chairman of Finance Committee, 

House of Representatives, Slate of Rhode Island : 
Sir: — I have the honor to hand you, herewith, a list of the several amounts 
expended by this Department since January 1, 1865, by order of the Governor, for 
account of bounty, &c , in response to your request. 

I have the honor to remain sir, very respectfully j'our ob't serv't, 

DEWITT C. REMINGTON, 
Brig. Gen'l, Quartermaster Gen'l, State of R. I. 



Recruits Enlisted hy L. T. Starkey., from January 1 to 26, 1865. 



Jan. o, 1865.— T. Smith, 

Abner S. Avery, 

Geo. W. Murr, 

Clarke Lewis, 

Dennis Fuller, 

Wm. R. De AYoloth, 

Henary L. Sutton, 

T. F. Didonnay, 

John O'Neil, 

Almon G. Bennet, Jr., 

H. R. Parker, 

R. Hale, 

Sylvanus Green, 

R. M. Davis, 

J. L. Hunt, 

James Wood, 

H. Runchan, 

E. Dwyer, 

T. W. D. Stephenson, 

E. Monaghan, 

Jno. Easton, 

Wm. R. Lane, ~ 

P. L. Wood, 

Clark Sherman, 

Jno. Murphy, 

Jno. Shield, 

Henry B. Jenison, 

Geo. 0. Scott, 

Chester Warner, 

Thos. Cunningham, 

Robert Jordan. 

Jan. 9, 1865. — James Chigg, 
Jas. A. Foster, 
Geo. F. Oldenburg, 
Wm. H. Duncan, 
J. Horton, 
Darias Lee, 
John Healey, 
R. D. Turner, 



Jan. 9, 1865.— Jas. GofF, 

L. Briggs. 
Jan. 10, 1865.— E. Mc Laughlin, 

J, Mullalley, 

Jno. Hey, 

A. R. Commons, 
Jan. 13, 1865.— B. G. Moone, 

S. Hudson, 

D. Connor, 

E. Howard, 
E. Gardiner, 
Jno. Q. A. Sayles, 
J. Barton, 

Wm. Lindsey, 
J. Donahue. 

Jan. 17, 1865.— H. AVard, 
A. Jordan, 
E. M. Wingate, 
Oliver 0. Ainsworth, 
II. N. Perry, 
E. Skinner, 
Thos. J. Harney. 

Jan. 19, 1865.— J. Kennedy, 
L. Sullivan, 
V. A. Arnold, 
'Wm. A. Aymer, 
Jno. Mullvili, 
Owen Kellev, 
G. A. Tisdale, 

Jan. 23, 1865.— P. Kaufman, 

Abraham Taylor, 
L. C. Munroe, 
Jno. Flood, 
Wm. A. Munroe, 
A. F. Joslin, 
Thos. L. Jennison, 
Abel Waite, 
H. F. Brooks, 
M. Ragan. 



Recruits enlisted hy John G-reene from January 1 to 26, 1865. 



Jan. 13, 1865.— Austin Donatt, 
Jan. 16, J 865. — Benjamin Douglass, 
David Thompson, 
James Tolger, 



Jan. 20, 1865.— J. Marien, 
A. Silvia, 
Albert H. Pollock, 
Wm. Spears. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 



47 



Recruits Enlisted hy J). C Winsor,from Jan. 1 to Jan. 26, 1865. 



Jan. 4, 1865.— G. H. Borden, 
R. Dunn, 
Jno. C. Potter, 
H. B. Oxx, 
A. Judson Barker. 

Jan. 20, 186.5.— H. Mathias, 

Wesley Williams, 
A. R. Pinkbam, 
H. Harris, 
G. Lindsey, 
M. Roderic, 
J. Little, 
M. Riley, 



Jan. 20, 1865.- 



-T. Marshall, 
J. H. Smothers, 
P. Edmonds, 
E. Dorsey, 
J. Graham, 
William Sullivan, 
M. Shannon, 
W. H. Campbell, 
William Hardman, 
Jno. Smith, 
M. Barber, 
Wm. 0. Eldridsre. 



Recruits Enlisted hy D. J. 

Jan. 6, 1865.— J. Glover, 

Jno. Haskins, 
Jno. Eairgraves, 
. Wm. Brown, 
Henry Whipple, 
Wm. Bremine, 
Geo. Banks, 
Jno. McCarthy, 
O. Anderson, 
G. Fitzgerald, 
G. M. Boyle, 
Robert D. Band, 
Calvin D. Wilber, 
Wm. Martin, 
N. M. Tyrell, 
Mark Whitehouse, 
Ed. S. Sewell, 
J. Vassels, 
R. Clark, 
Wm. Kelley, 
G. C. Badger. 

Jan. 9, 1865.— Jos. Ryan, 
Jas. Elwell, 
Jno. Nicholson, 
James Jefferson, 
Wm. H. Hoppersett, 
Chas. Brown, 
Geo. G. Souther, 



Pearce, from Jan. 1 to 26, 1865. 

Jan. 9, 1865. R. Cross, 

Thos. Cragin, 
AVm. Crowning, 
Jas. Bruoss, 
Geo. Fisher. 

Jan. 13, 1865.— J. Miskall, 
Thos. Arr, 
Thos. Burns, 

F. Briggs, 
Jno. McGowan, 

G. Polhis, 
C. Tate, 
AVm. Henry, 
Jno. F. Moore, 
Wm. C. Mellsop, 
Winslow Evans, 
P. Gillespie, 
Jas. Bishop, 

Ed. S. West, 

Geo. Bell. 
Jan. 17, 1865. — Jno. Maguire, 

Jas. Brown, 

Thos. Sterling, 

Jas. Grady. 
Jan. 20, 1865.— Jos. Buckley, 

Bernard O. lionnell, 

Michael Cosey. 



Recruits enlistedhy James C. Engley, 

Jan. 5, 1865. — Jno. Harney, 
James Hanley, 
Daniel J. Stone, 
Charles Stone, 
Charles Flannigan, 
Peter Bowlet, 
' Archibald Anderson, 

Thomas McCarty, 
Hugh Duffy, 
Francis McAndrew, 
Jno. Morris Jones, 
Jno. Randall, Jan 

James E. Hawes, 
S. F. Preston, 
Jno. Ryan, 
Timothy Callahan, 
Michael Kavany, 
D. Phetteplace, 



fro7n January 1st to 26^A,1865. 

William J. Daniels, 
Martin Burns, 
Charles J. Buckhart, 
T. Sullivan, 
Thomas Thafran, 
Martin L. Howard, 
Ed. Jordan, 
Daniel Tehan, 
Edwin F. Abbey, 
James H. Waterman, 
Ed. Ryan. 
9. 1865.— Jno. Devlin, 
Jno. Morris, 
Ed. Franklin, 
F. Donelly, 
Charles W. Stearns, 
Charles W. Tucker, 
J. C. Rockwood, 



48 



REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 



Jan. 12, 1865.— C. H. Fuller, 
Jno. Connor, 
Jno. Brown, 
A. Moor, 
J. W. Titus, 
I). G. Dickerson. 

Jan. 18, 1805.— Jno. Murphy, 
Joseph King, 
Charles H. Stafford, 



Jan. 18, 1865.— Joseph Phillips, 
Jno. Lahev. 

Jan. 21, 1865.— Isaac D. Hall, 

William C. Parker, 
Job Brings, 
William H. Curtis, 
D. Sweeney, 
Jno. Genard, 
Joseph Morgan. 



RecnuU enlisted hy H. C Jenckes, fro7n Jan. 1 to 20, 1865. 



Jan. 



Jan. 



Jan. 4, 1865. — James Smith, 
Patrick Rouke. 
5, 1865. — John Egan, 
P. Healey, 
William R. Mitchell, 
AVilliam E. Young. 
7, 1865.— Walter A. Tucker, 
Henry S, Battey. 

Jan. 10, 1865.— M. Fitzgerald, 
James Melone. 

Jan. 11, 1865.— A. W. Johnson, 
Gilbert Willis, 
Stephen Willis, 
Pat. H. Ryan, 
Jno. W. Williams, 
James K. King, 
James Creighton, 
Frank Lee. 

Jan. 12, 1865.— William Smith, 

William A. Lincoln, 
James T. Gillerpec, 
Jno. Sullivan. 

Jan. 13, 1865.— William Lambert, 
Jno. Coyle, 
Patrick Coyle. 



Jan. 14, 1865. — Joseph C. Dickerson, 

Owen Foley, 
Timothy Collins. 

Jan. 17, 1865. — James Sullivan, 
James D.Wells, 
Thomas A. Spaulding, 
Elkanah Clark. 

Jan. 18, 1865.— Frederick Brady, 
M. Forsythe, 
James Farley, 
Jno. Martin, 
Jno. Bailey. 

Jan. 21, 1865.— H.F. Gaadncr, 
G. S. Boutwell, 
S. A. Barre\', 
Joel F. Crocker, 
Frederick Glover. 

Jan. 23, 1865. — Thomas Sagerson, 
Jerry Lee, 
Henry Slocum, 
John McMillen, 
Davis C. Barke, 
William L. Dayton, 
Orville P. Jones. 



Recruits enlisted hy E. H. Hazard., from Jan. 1 to 26, 1865. 
Jan. 11, 1865.— John W. Brown. 

Recruits enlisted hy A. W. Corliss, from Jan. 1 to 26, 1865. 
Jan. 4, 18G5. — James A. Parent, Thomas Hamilton. 

Recruits enlisted hy M. E. Hatch, from Jan. 1 to 26, 1865. 



Jan 12, 1865.— William Lee, 
Walter James, 
James McQueeney, 
George C. Mason, 



Jan. 12, 1865.— Jno. E. Bowen, 
James Terell, 
O. S. Caulfield. 



Recruits enlisted hy J. N. Francis, from Jan. 1 to 26, 1865. 
Jan. 20, 1865.— Levi Brown. 

Recruits enlisted hy Lieut. W. B. Occleston, from Jan. 1 to 26, 1865. 



Jan. 2, 1865.— Daniel O'Donnell, 
Terrance McDuff, 
John Welch, 
James McCarty, 
Alexander McLean, 
Richard Fallon. 



Jan. 
Jan. 



Jan. 



2, 1865.— James Gallagher. 

4, 1865.— J. W. Stanley, 

M. Gallagher, 
M. Lynch, 
William H. Boyden. 

5, 1865.— Fred. G. Cullingford. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 



49 



Jan. 5,1865.— William 0. Coombs, 

Jan. 6, 1865.— Benoid Tyler, 

Cliarles H. Collins, 

Jan. 9, 1865. — Benjamin H. Tayler, 
Ed.'Cahill, 
Ira 'Wetlierell, 
John Liddell, 
B. Manning, 
Patrick McDcrmott, 
George Turner, 
Jno. Patts, 

Jan. 11, 1865.— T. Hurst, 
A. Paine, 
J. Agan, 
A. D. Moon, 
J. Harney, 
J. Andrews, 
J. Coleman, 
T. I. Suddard, 
Edward Suddard, 
Jno. H. Day, 

Jan. 16, 1865.— B. Sliawcross, 
J. Walker, 
P. Lake, 
D. Eddv, 



Jan. 16, 1865.— William I. Hill, 
J. Kennedy, 
C.H.Wilson, 
Bernard Mooney, 

Jan. 18, 1865.— C. W. Rexford, 

D. O'Connor, 
J. A. Hill, 

C. F. Brailey, 
Jan. 20, 1865.— M. Laren, 
C. Howard, 
M. Buckley, 
W. R. Smith, 
J. Coakley, 

E. Hague, 
T. Britt, 

P. McGoveran, 

A. A. Childs, 
J. Clark, 

B. Brown, 
William Johnson, 
T. Robertson, 

Jan. 26, 1865.— Bradford A. Mason, 
George Miner, 
Benjamin Griggs, 
George A. Webb. 



Recruits enlisted hy Cf. Thayer^ from Jan. 1 to 26, 1865. 
Jan. 11, 1865.— G. Thayer. 

Recruits Enlisted hy J. Angell, from Jan. 1 to 26, 1865. 

Jan. 2, 1865.— J. F. Kenynn, Jan. 11, 1865.— Chas. A. Baker. 

Wm. F. Peirce, Jan. 16, 1865 —Benj. Pettis. i 

Albert Luther, Jan. 17, 1865. — Wm. Hazard. 

Vernon Lane. Jan. 18, 1865. — Thos. Flemming, 

Jan. 7, 1865.— Jos. Howcroff, Geo. H. Hull, Jr., 

Chas. Dexter, Jno. Williams, 

Wm. J. StaflTord. Jno. MeQuiggan. 



Office Acting Assistant Provost Marshal General, ^ 

State of Rhode Island. Providence, February 21, 1865. 3 
Total number of men enlisted in the United States in the month of January, 1865, 
and credited to the State of Rhode Island, as made up from the records of this office : 

Armv 223 

Navy lOS 

331 total. 
H. NEIDE, Lt. Cot. V. R. C, 

A. A. P. If. General. 

The followino; men were paid for in Jflnuary in accordance with 
Provost Marshal Wm. E. Hamlin's certificate: 

January 4, 1865. — Paid H.C. Jenckes, for Jas Smith, presented by George S. Apple- 
by, January 2, 1865 ; January 4, 1865, for Patrick Eourke, presented by H. S. Barber, 
January 3, 1865. 

January 4, 1865. — Paid Major A. W. Corliss, for Thomas Hamlin and Joseph A. 
Parant, presented by him Jan. 4, 1865. 

January 11, 1865. — Paid E. H. Hazard, for John W. Brown, presented by him Jan- 
uary 10th, 1865. 

The above five names the certificates are in my possession. 

DeWitt c. remington, 

Quartermaster Greneral State of R. I. 



50 REPOKT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 



TESTIMONY OF COL. JOHN N. FRANCIS. 

Monday February 6, 1865. 

Q. Have you been connected with recruiting in this State ? 

A. I have been recruiting some men up to the present time, and 
correcting the enrolhnent. 

Q. You were the late Paymaster General of the State ? 

A. I was. 

Q. HoAV much money in all did you receive from the treasury of 
the State, when you w\as Paymaster General ? 

A. My I'eport shows the amount to be $905,415. 

Q. How was this money received from time to time by you, in 
what way ? 

A. The greater portion by draft upon the General Treasurer, 
approved by the Governor. 

Q. What did you do with the money when it came into your 
hands ? 

A. I most alwavs deposited it in the Atlantic Bank. Deposited 
the drafts there for collection. I made my draft on the General 
Treasurer, procured the approbation of the Governor on that draft, 
and deposited it in the Atlantic Bank for collection. The money was 
collected by the Bank, and remained on deposit to my credit as Pay- 
master General. I paid it out as I received orders from the Governor, 
from time to time, for the payment of the money. I most always 
paid the money, very rarely paid a check. In many instances, when 
I had large payments to make to the men, I would have the money 
prepared in advance, put up in packages of -$50 and $)75 a package, 
to pay it off, taking the bank's coiuit. The banks frequently requir- 
ed some little time to have the money arranged and advanced for me. 
The banks would put it up in these packages. It was impossible for 
one bank to furnish all the funds required, and I would have to pro- 
cure the funds of different banks, such as would have them on hand 
of their own notes. 

Q. When did you cease to be Paymaster General? 

A. I think on the 28th of March, 1864. 

Q. At that time were there any deposits in the Atlantic Bank to 
the credit of the Paymaster General, and if so, how much ? 

A. I cannot say ; my impression is, that the account was over- 
drawn at that time. I think it was, from the ftict that I think I made 
a draft that day to make my account good the first thing on jNIonday 
morning. (I finished the business on the 28th : it does not include 
the 29t]i.) 

Q. You did not draw any money after that time on account of 
the State did you, i. e., after you ceased to be Paymaster General ? 

A. I don't remember that I did ; there might have been one or two 
instances where I may have given a check for money I collected for 
somebody to deposit in Avith the other. I might have done that. 

Q. Do you remember any instance ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 51 

A. I cannot call any particular one to mind noAv. CM. Stone 
is the name of tiie cashier of the Atlantic Bank. 

Q. Did you make out this account ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Under what contract have you been engaged in the business 
of enlisting recruits, with whom was the contract made, and what 
were the terms of it ? 

A. Well, I received my orders direct from the Governor, and 
also from Maj. Sanford. 

Q.. What were those orders with reference to bounty, vouchers, 
head-money, &c. ? 

A. In the first instance, I think, I had some conversation with 
the Governor in regard to recruiting men, and at that time I think 
the head-money was fixed at $10. 

Q. When was that ? 

A. I am imable to mention the date. I should think it must have 
been sometime in October, 1861. This was for home recruiting. 
We were then paying -f 70, $90, and $100 for one, two, and three 
years men. I believe I was the first individual that began to recruit 
upon that basis. I was getting for those men for wliom I paid $70, 
$90 and $100; $80, $iOO, and $110,— ten dollars on each man. 
That arrangement continued a little while, when it was changed, and 
others wore appointed. I believe I was the only individual that paid 
as much as the amount stated below for recruits. When I paid it I 
had to furnish my receipts to the Governor, in order to get my 
receipts for the head-money. Receipts that I had paid so much. 
Arrangements were afterwards made, as the sum of head-money was 
deemed inadequate, the service requiring a good deal of time and 
many expenses, it was then fixed at $60, $80, and $90, which we 
paid the runners ; for these we got $80, $100, and $110, upon pro- 
ducing receipts that we had paid so and so, taking the responsibility 
of these men being mustered in. I enlisted some for the 2d Regi- 
ment, for which I paid $50 and passed over to Col. Jenckes. On 
those men I obtained $5 per man, and if any man was rejected by 
the mustering officer on the day, I was compelled to refund the $50, 
which I had drawn as head-money. I had to refund that upon 
receipts presented always. 

Q. How was it with these Provost Marshals vouchers ? 

A. When the extra bounty or head money was raised to $150, 
that was before the issue of these certificates. These were certificates 
from the Provost Marshals office for a stated sum, — one year men, 
$20 ; three years men, $50. We would buy the certificate ; on a $50 
certificate we Avould pay $90 ; that was the certificate we would take 
from the Provost Marshal for the man put in. The last arrangement 
was that $150 head money was paid ; for those I believe we got $200. 
I was busy much of the time and away ; but Major Engley, who was 
in the office, was transacting a greater portion of the business. I did 
but A-ery little myself. 

Q. Were you in any way interested with him or any other 
person ? 



52 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. I was intei'ested with Major Engley in recruiting. 

Q. With any other person? 

A. No, sir, 

Q. How many persons were there engaged in this recruiting busi- 
ness, upon tlie same footing as yourself? 

A. I am unable to say, but I think that Col. Jenckes, Major Eng- 
ley and Captain Starkey, and I dont know but what there might have 
been some others at different points. Lieut. Occleston was recruit- 
ing for the 15tli infantry. He was upon tlie same footing as myself, 
but as he was a salaried officer he drew no benefit from it, though he 
was drawing the same amount of head money. 

Q. Did you have anything to do with these men for whom you 
received this head money, — all of them, or did runners do the work 
and sell you the certificates ? 

A. Most of the men, sir, we did have something to do with ; 
enlisted the men, the greater portion of them. 

Q. What did you do with them ? 

A. Made out the enlistment papers, swore the men in, sent one 
of my assistants to the Provost Marshal's office, to attend upon them 
upon the examination, &c. That was our general custom, to send 
men with them ; make out the papers, and swear them in. 

Q. Was that all you had to do with the enlisting the men ? 

A. That was all we could have to do under the system. 

Q, You had nothing to do with the looking up the men ? 

A. Of course, we did. 

Q. What did you do with that ? 

A. We had men^mpioyed constantly to look up the men and 
bring them in to us. 

Q. Those men whose vouchers you purchased ? 

A. We did not purchase those certificates ; they were certificates 
put in for men as the runners brought them to us. Men whom we 
employed and paid. I think the instances must have been very rare 
where they picked up any imless Ave did so. 

Q. 'Name the men employed ? 

A. I cannot name many of them, because Major Engley had 
most of the business in charge. 

Q. You and he were partners ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Can you name any of them ? 

A. William Sherman was one, and a man by the name of Har- 
ris was another. We have got them all set down on the books, with 
the name of the party bringing the recruits, so that they can be re- 
ferred to. It embraces quite a good many, take them all, sir ; some 
men out of the State. 

Q. Do you know anything about naval recruits ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you recruit for that arm ? 

A. Yes, sir ; we were sending men there almost every day, their 
bounties were paid them in Boston. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS, 53 

Q. Who paid them ? 

A. We furnished the money to pay them, sir. 

Q. When were the certificates cashed ? When were you repaid ? 

A. We Avere repaid by the order of the recruit, upon the Allot- 
ment Commissioner, to draw the bounty back. 

Q. You paid the bounty in Boston ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How much bounty did you pay to those persons ? 

A. We paid in the first instance, I think, to these recruits for tAvo 
years, i200, and for three years, $300 ; afterwards we paid $300 for 
two years, and 8400 for three years. 

Q. Did you pay all that amount to the recruit ? 

A. I believe Major Engley paid it most of the time. 

Q. Did he pay that entire amount ? 

A. Yes, sir ; in every instance. 

Q. How much did you receive in return for a man ? 

A. We would pay the runner $150 and receive $200. We had 
to pay the expenses of the party to Boston, his expenses while there, 
and also assume the risk of the money. 

Q. You got no certificate of transportation ? 

A. We would have certificates of transmission from the Provost 
Marshal hei'e, before sending the man down. We *vould have a cer- 
tificate here, payable back there ; we had to pay the fare out of our 
own pocket, all the expenses, and all the expenses of the men while 
there. With many of the men sent doAvn there, the expenses Avere 
$25 per head before we succeeded in getting them through. I believe, 
in some instances, Major Engley paid the U. S. bounty before he 
could get the men through. 

Q. What were the items that made up the expenses ? 

A. I cannot say what the items were ; I do not know the Avhole 
of the routine matter they went through so fully as Major Engley 
does. 

Q. Where is Major Engley ? 

A. I think Major Engley was on Governor's Island at last 
accounts. 

Q. Have you the special orders of the Governor, in relation to 
the men enlisting in the Fourteenth Regiment. 

A. I have. 

Q. Will you furnish the committee with copies of these orders ? 

A. I can do so. Do you wish all the orders in relation to the 
men ; they are quite voluminous, take them all. 

Q. Were they issued through the Adjutant General's office ? 

A. No, sir ; they Avere issued direct to me. 

Q. If they were in the Adjutant General's office, I Avould not 
trouble you about it ? 

A. I can bring the originals, and have them copied. 

[The copfes of the orders produced on the folloAving day, by Col. 
Francis, are as folloAvs :] 



54 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

(Copy.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISALND, &c. 

Executive Departicext, ) 

Providence, Feb. 5, 1861. J 
Ccl. John N. Francis, Paj/nmster General: 

Colonel: — His Excellency the Governor, requests you to pay to Major J. C 
Engley, eight thousand, forty-nine dollars and sixty cents, ($8,049.60,) on account of 
recruiting services in 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 

I have the honor to be. Colonel, very respectfullv your ob't serv't, 
(Signed) CHARLE'S E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 

(Copy.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Paymaster General's Office, ( 

Providence, Feb. 5, 1864. J 
38,049.60. Received of John N. Francis, Paymaster General of R. I., eight thou- 
sand, forty-nine dollars and sixty cents, the same being paid me in accordance with 
an order issued this day from the Commander-in-Chief, for recruiting services rendered 
in enlisting men for the 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 

(Signed) J. C. ENGLEY. 

The State of Rhode Island, &c. 

To James C. Engley, Dr. 
18G4. 

For enlisting 875 men for the 14th Regiment R. I. H. A., as per special agreement 
■with the Commander-in-Chief, including expenses incurred for transportation, subsis- 
tence, &c., at $35 per man $30,625 00 

Cr. 

By cash received December 24th, 1863 $11,360 00 

By cash received February 5th, 1864 8,049 60 

Balance $11,215 40 

Providence, March 18, 1864. 
Received of John N. Francis, Paymaster General, eleven thousand, two hundred 
and fifteen dollars and forty cents, in full of the above account. 

J. C. ENGLEY. 

I certify that the above account is correct, that the articles charged therein were 
required and furnished on account of the service above mentioned, and that the same 
were necessary therefor. 
Approved : 

(Signed) JAMES Y. SMITH, 

Governor and Commander-in-Chief. 

(Copy.) 
The State of Rhode Island, &c.. 

To Major J. C. Engley, Dr. 

1863; 

December 24. On account of the military. 

Fourteenth R. I. H. A., for recruiting expenses, subsistence and transportation paid 
west and south of Albany and New York, on eight hundred and thirtj'-one men, (831.) 
enlisted for the 14th R. I. H. A $11,360 00 

$11,360.00 Providence, Dec. 24, 1863. 

Received of Colonel John N. Francis, Paymaster General, eleven thousand, 
three hundred and sixty dollars, in full of the above account. 

(Signed) J. C. ENGLEY. 

I certify that the above account is correct, that the articles charged therein were 
required and furnished on account of the service above mentioned, add that the same 
were necessary therefor. 

Approved : JAMES Y. SMITH, 

Governor and Commander-in-Chief. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 56 

Q, About the mode of the payment of bounties to these colored 
men. Suppose, when the recruiting officer had brought to the Pay- 
master General the evidence that a man had enlisted for $50 bounty, 
and enlistment papers stating that he had enlisted for that sum, how 
much bounty would the State pay in that case, and to whom would 
it be paid, if Major Engley had produced evidence that he had re- 
cruited a man for 850. 

A. There would not be any paid on any such evidence as that, 
sir, at all. The amount paid on men in such instances as that, would 
be paid, where the man was named and the amount specified, by the 
special order of the Governor to pay Maj. Engley, upon the order of 
a certain man named in the order, so many dollars. 

Q. What would be the special order of the Governor in reference 
to that class of cases, suppose the man was enlisted for 8100, would 
or would not the Governor order f 200 to be paid to Maj. Engley 
and $100 to the man ? 

A. Yes, siri He would order so much paid to Major Engley and 
the man, or if it was $150 and $200, the Governor would order it 
paid to Maj. Engley and the $50 to the man. That Avould be my 
order for it, and I would receive from Maj. Engley his receipt and 
from the man his receipt, (not from the man.) I would register the 
man upon an alphabet. My orders were to keep a list of men for 
reference to the executive department. The names with the amoimts 
paid were reported to the executive department daily and they kept a 
record there, and we had no receipts from the men. I registered 
these men with the amount of bounty paid them, and a record of 
that was retained in the office of the Governor, and record of the 
names, and of the names which I also had upon the back, putting 
down the amounts paid for the man, and the amount he enlisted for, 
and when the pay rolls were made out and sent to me for payment, I 
would take my book and run through the pay roll, and where I found 
a man enlisted for $250, I would mark it on the pay roll, showing it 
all in detail. 

Q. The routine was this : A man came and was sworn into the 
service of the United States ; evidence that he was sworn in was 
produced to the Executive, thereupon ; and the evidence was also 
produced to the Executive of what bounty he agreed to enlist for; 
the Executive thereupon issued a special order to you to pay the re- 
cruit the amount of bounty for which he agreed to enlist, and to pay 
the balance of the $300 to Major Engley ; thereupon you entered it 
upon a roll or book, kept for that purpose, and received no voucher 
from the man or from ]\Iajor Engley ? 

A. I did not see the man at all, sir ; I received no voucher from 
Major Engley ; I received Major Engley's receipt from him- — not for 
the- Avhole amount, but only for the money paid — when pay-day came 
I would deduct the money paid to Major Engley, from his money. 

Q. You would report how much mone}' you paid to Major Eng- 
ley to the Governor, and the Governor kept the record ? 

A. Yes, sir ; this class of men spoken of as $250 being paid to 



56 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

upon special orders, were the class termed contrabands ; and there 
were but few of these ; the orders show how many were made of each 
class of men. 

Q., by Mv. Jackson. In your account you paid transportation to 
Major Engley. Did Major Engley pay that transportation too ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Upon what authority ? 

A. Upon the Governor's order. 

Q. Is it putdoAvn in round items ? 

A. I have a voucher for that. It is a regular bill made off with 
the authoi'ity of the Governor to pay that amount. 

Q. Eight hundred and seventy-five men including transporta- 
tion, subsistence, and all expenses, ^130,625. I have understood here 
before, that this transportation was issued by Major Sanford to differ- 
ent parties for transportation of 

A. I cannot say as to that. It is a matter of which I had no 
knowledge. I think that can be explained in this way. Over cer- 
tain routes he did I'eceive transportation. 

Q. Knowing that there has been a large amount of transportation 
paid by the State in those days, paid tAvice over. 

A. I think that men Avere brought over routes for which no trans- 
portation was issued. I am inclined to that opinion. It is a mere 
matter of opinion with me, I know nothing of it whatever. 

Q. By Mr. Farnum. You heard Captain Chadsey's testimony. 
He spoke in reference to one particular sale of a voucher for $50, 
sold for $80 in his office. Have you any knowledge about the sale of 
such vouchers ? 

A. I have not, sir ; never tried to purchase one. 

Q. Suppose a man would buy a voucher for $50, what would be 
the course of that voucher, — its subsequent history ? Where would 
it go next ? How would the man that paid $80 get his money ? 

A. Almost every man Avho put in men, would know where he 
could take the certificates to get $90 for them. 

Q. The certificate was only good for $oO on the face of it, what 
does the party who pays $80 do with it ? 

A. Take it to Captain Starkey, Colonel Jenckes, Major Engley 
or myself, and we would pay you $90 for it. In some instances I 
would pay $100. 

Q. How could you afford to pay $100. 

A. Because I had the Governor's order that the amount of $60 
per man should be added to the three years men, and the certificates 
of $50 in the hands of either of us gentlemen was worth $60 more 
than they were in the hands of the recruiting officer. 

Q. Could anybody buy that, and go and get the same amount of 
money for it ? 

A. No, sir; I don't think they could, sir; I don't know that any 
parties made it their business to do so. 

Q. If I happened to be in Capt. Chadsey's office, and a man re- 
ceived vouchers for $50, and I should say to him, I will give you 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 57 

or $90 for them, would tliere be any way in which I could go and 
sell those for more than I gave for them ? 

A. I don't know how that was, sir ; my opinion would be that 
you could not. 

Q. That I could not ; but other parties could ? 

A. It would be worth more to us than it would be to you ; it was 
worth only tj^e face of it to any one else except to these special agents ; 
most of the men that presented men for muster and had these certifi- 
cates, had some arrangement with one of the parties in advance, before 
putting the men in ; most of them had this understanding, that they - 
would take their enlistment papers. 

Q. Where would he carry it to get his pay? 

A. I carried mine with my receipts to the Governor. I bought 
none of them ; they came into my possession becausesiJ put the men 
in, and was entitled to them. I paid runners for some men $90, 
and took their receipt ; my receipt attached would go to the Governor's 
office for the amount. $00 of the amount added to the $50 expressed 
in the certificate, made $110 ; and I would show by my receipt that 
I had paid $90 for the man. I could afford to give $105 for it, though 
I had never seen the man, and sell and make $5 by it ; I might if I 
had seen fit to do so. 

Q. Did you employ anybody besides yourself to buy up these ? 

A. No, sir, I did not ; I never felt justified in buying them. I 
thought I ought to have some claim on the man who was put in. I 
made no efforts to get any upon men except Avhere I put them in. 
If I had gone around the Provost Marshal's offices, and stopped every 
man that put in a recruit, I might have made a good deal of a busi- 
ness of it. 
. Q. Could I have done it ? 

A. You could have done it if you had been indefatigable, you 
would have found it rather an unpleasant business part of the time. 

COL. JOHN N. FRANCIS.— Recalled. 

Monday, February 9, 1865. 

[Col. Francis comes in and produces voucher for item $30,625.] 

Q. When you were before the Committee the other day, you 
stated that on the 28th March, 1864, when your term of office expir- 
ed, that your account at bank was over-drawn ; the Committee have 
examined the books of the bank, and they find that on that day there 
was to your credit at the Atlantic Bank a balance of $28,961 29. 

A. Quite likely, for I put in a draft for $25,000 on the morning 
of the 28th. I think that I stated that my account was over-drawn 
on the 26th. or at any rate I intended to state so. On tlie 26th there 
appeared to my debt, $3,961 ; and on the 25th, $28,961 29 ; and 
on the 5th of April, $29,645 88 ; and on the 9th of May, $31,104 13. 

Q. In what way would your account accumulate after you ceased 
to be Paymaster General. 

A. It accumulated by some deposits I had in my hands ; I had been 
doing a good deal of business on the 26th and 27th, which was Sunday, 



58 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

accumulating funds all the week to pay off a battalion of cavalry, that 
sailed on the morning of the 28th from Newport ; I had been collect- 
ing government funds, and had been obliged to send a special messen- 
ger to Boston and New York for them ; I had checks outside Avhich 
probably had not come into the bank, for perhaps twenty odd thousand 
dollars ; that is the Avay I considered my account overdrawn, although 
the bank books might have shown a balance to my credit ; still the 
checks outstanding to other banks might have left it overdrawn ; I 
had given one check to J. B. Hoskins, cashier of the Union Bank, for 
il5,000, on the 24th of March ; I had given one also to the Liberty 
Bank for $4000 more, for funds I took of them ; after these two 
checks had been paid, there was a balance of $3961 ; I think as I went 
into the Liberty Bank, I took the $4000 check of the 26th and gave 
a check on thetir bank, which they laid in the drawer, and did not 
charge me with until Monday ; on Monday I gave them another, and 
took up the one which I had given before. . As I drew $3000 from 
one bank, and $4000 from another bank, I think I gave one or the other 
in that form, which showed a balance in my credit, which had it been 
charged, would have shown me in debt, perhaps. 

Q. If you had outstanding checks, they would have been credited 
before the 9th of May ? 

A. They might not ; because I had many orders and bills to col- 
lect, which were paid to me at the time I was paying off these men, 
which left funds in my hands belonging to different parties, that did 
not call for them ; I 'think I collected $2000 or $3000 for other 
parties ; this was collected at a time when I was paying amounts for 
A. D. Smith, 3d, of $1000, $2000, or $3000 ; the balance was made 
up by having deposited $25,000 on the 28th of March, by a draft, 
and then from funds which I had in mv hands Avhen I deposited 
$6000 or $7000, after the 28th. 

Q. You say that this item, $31,104 13 was made up of the bal- 
ance on the 26th of $3961 ; that you deposited on the 28th $25,000, 
and afterwards there was outstanding sums coming to you which 
swelled the amount to $31,104 13. 

A. I think so, or else moneys in my hands that swelled the 
amount to that sum. I can show it from my bank book very 
' straight. The checks I drew I suppose would show whom they were 
paid to. 

Q. On the 13th of May you drew out $28,000 ? 

A. Yes, sir. I paid it over to the General Treasurer, deposited 
it in the Bank of North America to the credit of the General Treas- 
urer. I. had correspondence with the General Treasurer in regard to 
a voucher. I have the voucher, but not with me. That left a bal- 
ance on the 13th of May of $30,028 13, which balance was swelled 
oh the 17th of November to $8,998 18. 

Q. Now, as you ceased to be Paymaster General on the 28th of 
March, how could you receive the moneys of the State as Paymaster 
General, so as to swell this account in this way ? 

A. The Governor had issued an order directing me to make 
certain advances to the officers of the 14th Heavy Artillery and the 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 59 

3d Cavalry, taking their receipts for the same, and at the same time, 
their orders on the U. S. Paymaster for the amounts advanced them. 
I took these orders in my name, payable to my order ; endorsed OA-er 
by me to Major Amsbnry for collection, and sent them to New 
Orleans for him to collect ; as that money Avas collected by Col. 
Smith received from !Maj. Amsbury, he passed it over into my hands, 
for which I gave him receipts, and passed it to my credit in the ac- 
count. I suppose there is outstanding now vmcollected, in the same 
form, $3,000 or 8-J:,000 more ; and if you examine my report, you 
see under the charge of advances made to officers, where the amount 
comes in. 

Q. Then, on the 18th, ^^ou drew out of the bank something over 
$8,000 ; for what purpose ? 

A. To pay over to the General Treasurer, and I paid it over to 
the General Treasurer. I wrote him in May regarding that, that 
there was some of these outstanding orders, and that the funds from 
the collection cf them would come into my hands. 

Q. Did you have a right to receive the money of the State after 
you ceased to be its officer ? 

A. As the orders were made payable in my name the question 
arose, whom it was payable to. TJiey deemed it immaterial Avhether 
it was paid into my hands or to somebody else, so long as the money 
went into the State treasury. The Gommissioner talked with me, 
and said, I have given you receipts for these orders which you have 
given into my hands. 

Q. Are there any further explanations you wish to make ? 

A. Everything can be shown very straight by an examination of 
the books. In answering these questions, I have spoken from mem- 
ory and may have been mistaken as to dates, but my books will show 
the whole. 

COL. JOHN N. FRANCIS.— Recalled. 

Tuesday, Feb. 14, 1865. 

Question'. What amount of the bounties of the 14th regiment 
was paid directly to the recruits, and what to the recruiting officers ? 

A. The whole amount paid to the recruiting officers, I should 
think could not* vary far from $75,000. 

Q. Have you any means of fixing it exactly ? 

A. I could not fix it exactly, except the amount paid Major Eng- 
ley. I think the amount paid to him is about $66,000. Or, perhaps, 
I should say that was the Avhole amount, because in no other instance 
was any order paid for a portion of bounty to any man who recruited, 
except upon the orders of the recruits. 

Q. How much was paid upon orders of the recruits ? 

A. Construing that in one sense, it would be impossible to say, 
because I paid a great deal of money upon the orders of recruits, at 
their request, after they were enlisted ; it would be impossible to as- 
certain that. 

Q. Have you not all the orders in your possession ? 



60 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. Not all of them. In many instances they borrowed money of 
others of their own number, who had money on hand, for which they 
would give an order. These men had enlisted previously. AVhen 
pay-day came, the man who held the order would present it, and ask 
me to pay it, and I would always decline to pay it unless the recruit 
asked it of me, to pay him as a favor. Sometimes a man would have 
five or six orders of from $2 to $15, and sutler's checks. I would 
pass the orders and the sutler's check, and balance of the money over 
to the recruit, and tell him to submit it to his officers, and see that it 
was all right. ^ 

Q. Was, or was not. the 866,000 the difference between the. 
amount of bounty in the contract for enlistment, and the |ioOO ? 

A. Yes, sir ; that is just about the amount, I should judge. 

Q. Then it does not include the special orders given by the re- 
cruit before he came into the State ? 

A. Orders of that kind were usually given for money advanced. 

Q. There is some evidence that there was something received for 
watches, clothing, &c. ? 

A. I have no knowledge on that subject. 

Q. You have not the means of telling the whole amount given 
by recruits of the Fourteenth Regiment in orders ? 

A. I could not say what the whole amount might be. Major 
Engley was accustomed, in the case of many of the men, when they 
were enlisted upon promise of receivino' $25 on their arrival, to pay 
them 825 as soon as they reached here, and he would almost always 
take receipts for that as soon as they were enlisted. I had no knowl- 
edge of these transactions, except what I derived from Major Engley. 
My instructions are to recognize those receipts for $25. 

Q. Have you either directly or indirect! v derived any gratuity, 
pay, emolument or profits, eithei" from recruits, recruiting officers, or 
from the State for recruiting services, or in any way or account 
th.ereof, and if so, how much ? And what ? State the amount of 
all you have so received, and from whom you received it ? 

A. I have neither directly or indirectly received any pay, gratuity, 
emoluments or profits from recruits, or recruiting officers, except 
from Col. H. C. Jenckes, a division of the head money of twen- 
ty dollars for such men as I recruited for the second regiment. I can- 
not state the number, but*think it about thirty men. I received from 
the Quartermaster General the sums of 810 and 820 for twenty or 
more men enlisted for old regiments. I received from the Governor, 
twelve luindred dollars to pay expenses to North Carolina, to ascer- 
tain as to the enlistment of some men who it was thought might be 
obtained to the credit of the State's quotas. I have received from the 
Quartermaster General 86,422 for recruits and recruiting expenses, 
incurred in the Department of South Eastern Virginia. 

[Col. Francis produced copies of fourteen orders of the Governor 
in reference to the payment of bounties, which will be found on pages 
25 to 32 inclusive, of the appendix to this report.] 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 



61 



SUNDRY CERTIFICATES, &c 



STATE OF ERODE ISLAND, &c. 

ExECUTiYE Department, ) 

Providerice, Dec. 23d, 1863. J 

My Dear Colonel: — I have made arrangements with Mr. Huntoon for tobacco; 
Mr. Snow for boots ; Mr. Barnaby for shirts and gloves, &c. ; I hope you can give 
them good quarters when they come among you ; I think it would be a good place in 
the barracks. 

With kind regards, I remain yours, &c., 

AMOS D. SMITH, 8d, State Commissioner. 
To Col. Nelson Viall, Dutch Isknul. 

It having been asserted that I have made a large amount of money from the sales 
of goods in ray camp, I hereby affirm that I was never interested in any way with 
any parties selling goods in this regiment, and this letter informing me of Colonel 
Smith's intentions to send goods to my camp is the first intimation I liad of it. 

NELSON VIALL, 
Lt.-Col. Comd'g \Ath Refjiment R. I. H. A. 

Statement of Elijah Dorsey, Co. "M," 14th Regiment E. I. H. A. 

I certify that I was enlisted in Buffalo, New York, by Mr. Custy, for the 14th Eegt. 
E. I. II. A. I was promised a bounty of three hundred and fifty dollars. ($350.) I 
received but forty dollars (§40) of my first installment. I never signed away any of 
my bounty. 

his 
ELIJAH kDOESEY. 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th Eeg. E. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, E. I., March 14, 1864. 
I certify that I sent iifty-five dollars home, in Elbridge, Unandagua Co., N. Y., 
through the Commissioner's hands. The check my wife has not received yet. . 

his 
GEOEGE -a L. WILLIAMS, 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Eeg. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, E. I., March 14, 1864. 
I certify that I was compelled by Major Engley to take a watch at twenty-five dol- 
lars, a pair of boots at seven dollars, and a comforter at one dollar, amounting to thirty- 
three dollars, which was taken out of my first installment. The boots I found soon 
after were mis-mates, and carried them back, but had to come to Dutch Island, and 
the clerk told me he would have them changed and sent down, but I have not seen 
them since. 

his 
LAWRENCE x PAYNE. 
mark. , 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Eeg. E. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, E. 1., March 15, 1864. 
I certify that I was compelled to take a watch at tiiirty dollars by Major Engley, 
which was taken out of my first installment of bounty. 

Ills 
BEISTOE « SMITH, 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. I4th Eeg't E. I. H. A. 



62 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14, 1864. 
I certify that at the first installment I received ($45.00) forty -five dollars, and the 
Paymaster told me he settled two bills, amounting to thiry dollars, and I liave never 
received anything for that amount of money. I sent home twenty-five dollars through the 
Allotment Commissioner, and my wife has never received the check. Upon his 
coming again, I mentioned it to him and he told me " I would get it," but have not 
yet. 

his 
WILLIAM X H. JONES. 
• mark. 

Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Reg. R. I. H. A. 



On Board the Transport Daniel Webster, \ 
January 29th, 1804. J 

William Mercer, of Co. E, 14th Reg. R. I. H. A., deposes that he enlisted in said 
regiment on the 8th of September, 180o, under J. C. Engley, recruiting officer. That on 
the same day, by request of Mr. Engle}', he started for Michigan on recruiting service, 
he being told that all his expenses would be borne by said Engley, and that the said 
Englej' would pay what was right for all the men he might procure. He returned to 
Providence with five recruits, for which he received no equivalent ; nor for the trav- 
eling expenses, excepting transportation ; which he had incurred, amounting to $24.50. 
By request of Mr. Engley, he again left Providence on recruiting service, visiting 
different parts of Indiana and Illinois ; this time being assured tliat he should receive 
for each recruit $5 a man. He obtained five or more, whom he forwarded to Provi- 
dence, and delivered over to Mr. Engley, presenting his bill for the same, wliich also 
included $8 lor expenses. But he received no money, Mr. Engley alleging that he 
had none on hand. On the next trip for recruits, he was to receive $10 a man and all 
expenses paid. He secured eight recruits, and was at an expense of -^27.40 besides 
numerous small items. On this trip he was arrested for recruiting in Illinois, and 
subjected to a fine of $16.40. On returning to Providence he requested a settlement 
with Mr. Engley. He was told by Engley to come to his office the next day, and he 
would settle with him. He went to Engley's office as directed about 8 o'clock in the 
morning, and staid there till 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Not being well, he, with 
the permission of Mr. Sheldon, a clerk of Mr. Engley's, went to his home and went 
to bed ; about 12 o'clock that night, one of the Provost Marslial's deputies arrested 
him, as he said at the time, by order of the said Engley, and was taken to tlie Park 
Barracks and confined till next morning. In the morning he was taken to the Provost 
Marshal's office, and was informed that he had been arrested by order of Engley, who 
pretended to be fearful that he might desert. On learning the tacts, the Provost Mar- 
shal immediately released him, giving him permission to go where he pleased. The 
same day he returned to his company on Dutch Island, K. I. A few weeks subse- 
quently he went up to Providence with a pass signed by his Captain, and approved by 
tlie Colonel and Adjutant, M'ith the intention of settling with Mr. Engley. On request- 
ing a settlement with Mr. Engley, the said Engley demanded to see his pass, and 
on its being shown to him put it in his own pocket, and ordered his clerk, Mr. 
Sheldon, to put him (/. e. Mercer) under arrest until tlie next Monda\-, (it then 
being Saturday,) when he sliould be returned to the island. (/. e. Dutch Island.) He 
Avas, however, released from arrest by Mr. Dorrance, at that time acting as com- 
missary for the regiment, who gave him a pass and returned him to the camp. He 
deposes that he has never received any equivalent for his services rendered to 
said Engley in tlie recruiting business ; that furthermore, the said Engley has, or 
did have in his possession a valuable gold watch, (hunting-case, English lever,) 
which, at the request of Engley, was loaned to him (the said Engley) by Mercer, but 
which has never been returned or any equivalent rendered therefor. That further- 
more, of the $300 bounty which he was to receive as a recruit for the 14th Regiment 
R. I. H. A., he has received only $75, wnicli was the first installment. That the 
second installment of $75 was never paid him, and that the certificate of the bal- 
ance of his bounty bears on its face only the sum of $85, as due him of his 
bounty; thus leaving the sum of $140 which he has never received, and of which no 
account is made in the certificate of his last bounty. He deposes that lie has given to 
no person any order on his bounty ; but believes that this sum of $140 has gone into 
the pocket of Mr. J. C. Engley. He has declined to accept the $85, as the balance due 
him of his bounty, he desiring an investigation, as to where the remainder has gone. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 63 

In addition to what he lias deposed above, there are many other items of which he 
has lost the account, and for which he was promised an equivalent, but he has never 
received any. 

(Signed) WILLIAM x MERCER. 

mark. 
Witness to mark : Wm. S. Dyer. 
Sworn and subscribed to before me, J. M. Addeman, 

Capt. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 15th, 1864, 
I certify, that at the first installment of bounty, I received thirty-seven dollars in 

money. A bill of clothing amounting to §12, which I was compelled to take by Major 

Engley, I suppose was taken out, leaving twenty six-dollars yet coming due. I have 

had nothing for which this amount should be stopped. 

At the second installment of bounty, I sent twenty-five dollars home to Saratoga 

Springs, N. Y., through the Commissioner's hands to my wife (Caroline Bordley, 

the check of which she has never received. 

BENJAMIN BORDLEY. 
Witness: Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, March 16, 1864. 
Lieut. Col. Nelson Viall, 

Dear Sir : — I wish to lay before you the following statement of facts : 

I enlisted in the 14th Regiment R. I. H. A., on November 12th, 1863. On Novem- 
ber 24th, was detailed for the recruiting service, by Major J. C. Engley ; he agreeing 
to pay me ($10) ten dollars for each recruit that passed the surgeon at Providence, 
together with my travelling expenses and board. 

At the time. Major Engley paid me fifty dollars, ($50) taking the receipt for the 
same, (as the first installment of my bounty), he said the taking of the receipt enabled 
him to keep his books in better shape, and assured my faithfulness. He also told me to 
present such bills as were incurred on duty, to him, at any time, and he would pay 
them, and let the receipt for ($50) fifty dollars stand ; thus, as he said, I received and 
had the use of my money, which he would refund. Of the truthfulness of this state- 
ment, Mr. Norris can swear, (if he will.) 

Thus Major Engley has broken his agreement, and charged me with the fifty dol- 
lars aforementioned He positively refused to pay me for the last five recruits that 
passed the surgeon. 

The account of our present affairs is as follows : 
Major J. C. Engley, 

To James F. Jones, Dr., 

For cash paid in recruiting service , $43 50 

To cash due, as advance on 5 recruits for 14th R. I. H. A., at $10 each 50 00 

Total .$93 50 

All which I respectfully submit. 

I have the honor to remain, your obedient servant, 

JAMES F. JONES, Company M, 14th Regiment, R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 
[Statement of William J. Wilson, of Co. " I," 14th Regiment R. I. H. A.] 
I purchased a watch from Major Engley for twenty dollars, which he warranted to 
be a good time-keeper, and silver cases. The watch proved to be good for nothing, 
and kept no kind of time. 

W. J. WILSON. 
Witness: Capt. S. Faknum. 



Providence, January 22, 1864. 
Mr. Coffin : — I learn from Mr. Chace, that you are selling boots and shirts to the 
men of the 14th Regiment, at Dutch Island. I therefore forbid you selling the above 
articles there, and order you to move from the Island all such articles as soon as 
possible. fP 

Yours, &c., AMOS D. SMITH, 3d. 

Mx, Coffin is a sickly man who I have permitted to sell from a basket in my camp 
since the first company was raised on Dexter Ground. He gave me this note for use. 

N. VIALL, Colonel commanding 14th Regiment. 



i 



H4 REPORT or THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Camp Bailey, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 
[Statement of several men of Co. " I," 14tli Regiment R. I. H. A ] 
These men each bought a watcli from Capt. Ballou for twenty dollars. Capt. Bal- 
lou Avarranted the watches to be good time-keepers, and silver; but all proved to be 
worthless things, that would not keep good time tor a single day. 

his 
Charles y, Steatard. 
mark, 
his 
» James x Boardlet. 

mark. . 
his 
George « Green. 
mark, 
his 
Norris X Cato. 
mark, 
his 
Thomas ^ Carroll. 
mark, 
his 
Elias X Mann. 
mark, 
his 
Peter x Miller. 
mark, 
his 
John x Griffin. 
mark. 

his 
Sylvester X Baird. 
mark, 
his 
WooDHALL X Denny. 
mark, 
his 
Henry m Wilet. 
mark. 



Witness to signatures : Capt. S. Farnum. 



Headquarters of the Fourteenth Reg't R. I. Heavy Artillery, 

Dutch Island, Dec. 27th, 1863. 
This is to certify, that on or about the 24th of December, 1863, I met Fletcher W. 
Burley, a recruit of the 14th Regiment R. I. H. Artillery. I casually asked him what 
Company he belonged to, he replied by saying he was employed at the recruiting 
office to run men in and to buj' watches. I asked him to show me the place of sale. I 
followed him to a room on Weybosset street, upstairs, and in the rear of the recruit- 
ing office. Here I found one Luke Chace and F. Sheldon, agents of Maj. Engley, in 
the act of selling bogus watches and other articles. Upon examining the watches sold, 
I forbid selling any more, as I should complain of the matter. I took twelve 
men, Avho had been obliged to take these watches, to the office on Custom House 
street, but could get no satisfaction, and, as a tax-payer of our State and as the com- 
manding officer of these men, I protest against these men. The following are the 
names of the men Avho were present at the time I forbid the sales of watches by said 
Chace, c&c, &c. : Serg't James Bush, Co. I; Richard Grier, Co. M; Reuben D. 
Casey, Co. M ; William Casey, Co. M ; Elijah-Dorsey, Co. M ; Myers Gibbs, Co. M; 
FU'tcIier Burley, Co. M. I believe at some day these claims upon the State will be 
presented, and I cannot feel that I have discharged my duty by sustaining these 
frauds. 

Very respectfully, ^ 

ISimSON VIALL, 
Lt. Col. Ccmmandhig 14i/j R.I. H. A. 
To the Hon. Wm. P. Sheffield. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 65 

Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, E. I., March 14th, 1864. 
I certify, that at the second installment, I received twenty dollars in money and a 
bill of five dollars paid to the sutler. For the fifty dollars, I have not had anything 
for which it should be kept back. 

/ his 
JOHN X R. BATES, 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 15th, 1864. 
I certify that at Providence, I contracted a bill of thirty-six dollars, and a bill on the 
sutler of ten dollars, in all forty-six dollars. 

At the first installment of bounty, I received but five dollars in money. Allowing 
that this bill of forty-six dollars was paid, there remains twenty-four dollars coming 
due me. I have had nothimg for which this amount should be stopped. 

SAM'L SALSBURY. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 15th, 1864. 
I certify that at the second installment of bounty, I only received twenty-five dol- 
doUars, making fifty dollars taken out, for which I have had nothing. 

his 
JAMES X. SANEORD. 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14, 1864. 
I certify, that at the second installment of bounty, I received nineteen dollars and a 
bill of six dollars from Barnaby, making in all twenty -five dollars. For the fifty dol- 
lars I have had nothing. 

his 
JOHN M F. MAGRUDER. 
mark. 
Witness : Ch-^rles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14, 1864. 
I certify, that I was compelled to take a watch at twenty-five dollars ; a pair shirts 
six dollars; a pair boots, seven dollars, by Maj. Engley. This amount was taken out 
of my first installment of bounty. 

his 
GEORGE X WASHINGTON. 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th R, I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 
I certfy that I was compelled by Major Engley to take twenty dollars worth of cloth- 
ing and three dollars in money. I received of the Paymaster twenty dollars and a 
bill for a watch at twenty-two dollars, the whole amounting to sixty-five dollars, leav- 
ing ten dollars coming due. 

JOHN SMITH, 2d. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 15th, 1864. 
I certify that at the first installment of bounty, I received twenty dollars in money, 
and three bills which were paid amounting to forty dollars, in all sixty dollars, leaving 
fifteen dollars to be accounted for, for which I have had nothing. I was compelled by 
Major Engley to take a watch at twenty-five dollars, and some clothing amounting to 
twelve dollars, in all thirty-seven dollars Avorth. I also owed a bill of three dollars 
on the sutler which makes the forty dollars above alluded to. 

his 
JOHN X R. JONES, 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



QQ REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 15, 1864. 
I certify that I was compelled to take a watch at twenty-five dollars by Major Eng- 
ley, he saying " that if I did not take it, I would not get any bounty." I also received 
twenty-five dollars at the first installment, leaving twenty-five dollars to be accounted 
for, for which I have Imd nothing. 

At the second installment of bounty I received one dollar in money, which I gave 
back to the paymaster. A bill of the sutler was twelve dollars, and a bill of J. B. 
Barnaby was thirteen dollars —in all twenty-six dollars — leaving forty-nine dollars to 
be accounted for, for which I have had nothing. 

his 
DAVID X SMITH, 
mark. 
Witness : Chakles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 15, 1864. 
I certify that I was compelled by Major Engley to take a watch at thirty dollars. 
At the payment of the first installment I received five dollars. I also was given 
twenty-five dollars at the same time I took the watch, in all sixty dollars, leaving 
fifteen dollars I have not received anything for. 

his 
MOSES « DEAN. 
mark. 
Witness : Chables Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14, 1864. 
I certify that I was compelled by Major Engley to take twenty dollars worth of 
clothing, which was taken out of my first installment. 

I placed fifty dollars of my first installment in the bank, and lost the check. When 
Col. Smith was down the last time, I spoke to him about it, and he said he would 
send me another, but he has not yet. At the payment of the second installment, I 
only got thirty-six dollars, bills all paid, leaving thirty-nine dollars which is to be 
accounted for. 

his 
BENJAMIN X MILLER. 
mark. 
Witness: Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regiment R. I. H. A, 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 
I certify that I was promised ray bounty of three liundred dollars from the State in 
three installments, upon my reaching Dutch Island. 

At the second installment I received but ($25 00) twenty-five dollars, leaving 
(§50 00) fifty dollars to be accounted for. 
I have had nothing of anybody whatever, for which this amount should be stopped. 

WILLIAM H. BECKETT. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14, 1864. 
I certify that at the second installment of bounty, I only received twenty-five dol- 
lars, the paymaster telling me I would receive the remainder when we arrived at 
another camp. 

WILLIAM H. WILLIAMSON. 
. Witness : Charles M. Smiih, 2d Lieut. 14th Regiment, R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14, 1864. 
I certify that at the second installment of bounty I received fifteen dollars in 
money. A bill on the sutler of five dollars, -which I suppose was paid, leaves fifty- 
five dollars coming due. 

his 
WILLIAM ^ WOODS. 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 67 

Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, E. I., March 14, 1864. 
I certify, that at the first installment of bounty I received sixteen dollars in money 
and three bills amounting to twenty-three dollars, in all thirty-nine dollars, leaving 
thirty-six dollars which is yet due me. At the second installment 1 received none, on 
inquiring of the Paymaster, he answered, " Ah ! never mind, that is all right." 

his 
FRANK X THOMPSON. 
mark. 
"Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Reg. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 15, 1864. 
I certify, that I was compelled to take a Avatch, at twenty-five dollars, by Major 
Engley, wliich was taken out of my first bounty. I sent twenty-five dollars home, at 
Paterson, N. J., to my wife, (Jane Ray), through the Commissioner's hands, the check 
of which my wife has never received. 

his 
THOMAS X RAY. 

Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 15, 1864. 
I certify, that, at the second installment of bounty, I received thirty -five dollars in 
monej', two bills ; one of five, on the sutler, and one of fourteen, on J. B. Barnaby 
and Snow, whicli I suppose were settled ; leaves fifty -four dollars to be accounted for, 
for which I have had nothing to account for them. 

his 
SAMUEL X STIRPES, 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Reg. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14, 1864. 
I certify, that I received at the second installment of bounty, thirteen dollars in 
money, two bills paid amounting to thirty dollars, in all forty -three dollars, leaving 
thirty-two dollars, which I did not receive. 

his 
JOHN X H. DOCKETT. 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 15, 1864. 
I certify, that at the second installment of bounty, I received fifty-seven dollars 
in money and a bill of five dollars on the sutler and four dollars on J. B. Barnaby, 
amounting to sixty-six dollars, leaving nine dollars to be accounted for, for which I 
have had nothing. 

his 
WILLIAM X M. JACKSON. 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Reg. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14, l"S64. 
I certify, that I was compelled to take fifteen dollars worth of clothing by Major 
Engley. I received on my first installment fifty dollars in money, the bill being 
paid, leaves ten dollars to be accounted for. At the second installment, I received 
twenty-five dollars. I owed nobody anything for which the fifty dollars was kept 
back. 

his 
EDMUND X RICHARDS, 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Reg. R. I. A. A. 



68 ■ REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

[Statement of Richard Green, of Co. M, 14tli Regt. R. I. H. A.J 
I certify that I was enlisted in Providence by Major Engley, for the 14th Regiment 
R. I. H. A., and was promised a bounty of ($350) three hundred and fifty dollars. 
Major Engley obliged me to sign for two shirts worth (S6) six dollars. 
Of my first installment, I received only ( $2-5) twenty- five dollars, I did not sign 
for any thing except what I have mentioned. 

his 
RICHARD X GREEN. 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 
' [Statement of Edward Saunders, a private in Co. K, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 

I certify that I was enlisted in Illinois by , that I was to. receive three 

hundred and fifty dollars bounty, of which I have received seventy-five dollars as my 
first installment, and have been refused the balance. 

his 
EDWARD X SAUNDERS, 
mark. 
Witness : Pardon Mason, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



[Statement of William Murray,'Company "M," 14th Regiment R. I. H. A.] 
I certify that I was enlisted in Providence by Major Engley, for the 14th Regt. R. 
I. H. A. and was promised a bounty of (350) three hundred and fifty dollars. I re- 
ceived (30) thirty dollars of my second installment, (21) twenty -one dollars in money 
and the remainder in goods from Snow and Barnaby. 

I have signed away none of my bounty except what I have mentioned. 

his 
WILLIAM y^ MURRAY. 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th Regt, R. I. H. A. 



[Statement of William H. Johnson, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 
I certify that I was enlisted in Providence by Major Engley, for the 14th Regiment 
R. I. H. A., and was promised a bounty of ($350) three hundred and fifty dollars. 

Of my last installment I received ($60) sixty dollars. I have signed away none of 
my bounty. 

. his 
WILLIAM X H. JOHNSON, 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 
[Statement of Charles C. Nelson, 2d, a private of Co. K, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 
I certify that I was enlisted by Colonel Condy, at Jefiersonville, Indiana, with the 
promise of three hundred and fifty dollars bounty. I have received fifty of the first 
installment, and refused the rest by the Paymaster. 

Colonel Condy told me that as soon as I was mustered in, I should get the whole of 
my bounty. 

his 
CHARLES X C. NELSON, 2d. 
mark. 
Witness : Pardon Mason, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



[Statement of Abraham Peters, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 
I certify that I was enlisted in Providence by Major Engley, for the 14th Regt. R. 

I. H. A., and that I was promised a bounty of ($300) three hundred dollars. 

After I enlisted, the Major wished me to take some clothing to the amount of ($15) 

fifteen dollars. I did not wish to take them, but he told me they would be charged to me 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 69 

whether I took them or not ; so I signed a paper for (615) fifteen dollars but never re- 
ceived the clothing. I received but sixty dollars of my first installment. Of my 
second installment I received only (§25) twenty-five dollars ; the Paymaster told me 
I would receive the rest at New Orleans. 

his 
ABRAHAM W PETERS, 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Fkank Frost, Co. M, 14th Regt, R. I. H. A. 



[Statement of Samuel McGowan, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 
I certify that I was enlisted in Providence by Major Engley, for the 14th Regt. R. I. 
H. A., and was promised a bounty of ($350) three hundred and fifty dollars. Of my 
first installment, I only received (§50) fifty dollars. I received none of my last install 
meat. I was brought up in South Carolina, and was a slave before the war. 

his 
SAMUEL y, McGOWAN. 
mark. 
"Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



[Statement of Andrew Garnett, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 
I was enlisted in Syracuse, in the State of New York, by J. R. Sisson, for the 14th 
Regiment R. I. H. A., and Avas promised a bount}' of ($350) three hundred and fifty 
dollars. I signed for (S25) twenty-five dollars worth of clothing at Major Engley's 
office, in Providence, R. I., as he told me it would be charged to me whether I signed 
or not. I also received (§10) ten dollars from Major Engley. When my first install- 
ment was paid I received only ($25) twenty-five dollars. I did not sign for anything 
except what I have mentioned. I received nothing at the second installment ; the 
Paymaster told me I was a contraband and was not entitled to it. I have always been 
free and have always lived in Syracuse, New York. 

« his 

ANDREW X GARNETT. 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



[Statement of William Clay, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 
I certify that I was enlisted in Providence, by Major Engley, for the 14th Regt. R. 
I. H. A., and was promised a bounty of ($350) three hundred and fifty dollars. I re- 
ceived (§25) twenty-five dollars of my last installment in money, and (§33) thirtj'-three 
dollars in goods from Snow and Barnaby, sutlers. I have signed away none of my 
bounty except what I have mentioned. 

his 
WILLIAM X CLAY, 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th, R. I. H. A: 



[Statement of Corporal Greenberry Honeycutt, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 

I certify that I was enlisted in Providence, by Major Engley, for the. 14th Regiment 
R. I. H. A., and was promised a bounty of ($350) three hundred and fifty dollars. 

After I arrived in Providence, Major Engley let me have (§10) ten dollars. Of my 
first installment I received only (§25) twenty-five dollars. I never signed away any 
of my bounty, and all that I have received is what I have stated. 

GREENBERRY HONEYCUTT. 

Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



[Statement of Edmund Newell, Co. M, 14th Regt, R. I. H. A.] 
I certify that I was enlisted in Providence by Major Engley, for the 14th Regt. R. 
I. H. A., and was promised a bounty of (§250) two hundred and fifty dollars. 

I received only ($25) twenty-five dollars of my second installment. I signed away 
none of my bounty. 

his 
EDMUND XI NEWELL, 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



70 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

[Statement of Wm. Mark, Co. M, Hth Regiment R. I. H. A.] 
I certify that I was enlisted in Providence, by Major Engley, for the 14th Regi- 
ment, R. I. H. A. I was promised a bounty of three hundred and fifty dollars. Of 
my last installment I received $25. The paymaster said he would pay me the 
balance on the next pay-day of my bounty. 

his 
WILLIAM X MARK. 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 



[Statement of Alfred R. F. Battiess, Co. M, 14th Regiment R. I. H. A.] 
I was enlisted in Providence, by Major Engley, for the 14th Regiment R.I. H. A., 
and was promised a bounty of (.$300) three hundred dollars. I received ($25 
twenty-five dollars of my first installment ; and while in Providence I signed a note 
for ($25) to Capt. F. M. Ballou for a watch. He obliged me to sign this note. 

I have received no other money, and have signed away none except what I have 
mentioned. 

A. R. F. BATTIESS. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 



[Statement of Corporal Nelson Cross, Co. M, 14th Regiment, R. I. H. A.] 
I certify that I enlisted in Washington, D. C, for the 14th Regiment R. I. H. A., 
and that I was promised a bounty of ($300) three hundred dollars. I received all of 
my first installment, but only twenty-live ($25) dollars of my seconft I have never 
signed away any of my bounty. 

his 
NELSON H CROSS, 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, March 14th, 1864. 
[Statement of John Lisle, a private in Co. K, 14th Regiment R. I. H. A.] 
I certify that I was enlisted by Colonel Condy, at Jeffersonville, Indiana, with 
the promise of three hundred and fifty dollars bounty. I have received fifty dollars 
of the first installment, and have been refused the rest. I was told that I should 
draw my bounty at Dutch Island. 

JOHN >4 LISLE, 
mark. 
Witness: Pardon Mason, 2d Lieut. 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, R. I., March 13th, 1864. 
[Statement of Private Charles Bowen, of Co. I, 14th Reg't R. I. H. A.] 
I enlisted in EvansvjUe, Indiana, for (.$325) three hundred twenty-five dollars, 
William Steins recruiting agent. Twenty-five dollars were taken from my first 
installment of seventy-five dollars. I had never bought anything, or signed any 
paper whatever. 

his 
CHARLES M BOWEN. 
mark. 
■" Witness : Capt. S. Farnum. 



Camp Bailey, D. I., R. I., March 15th, 1864. 
[Statement of Private George Green, Co. I, 14th Reg't R. I. H. A.] 
I was in debt to the sutler seventeen ($17), and when paid my second installment 
of bounty, received only thirty-five ($35) dollars, leaving a deficit of twenty- three 
($23) dollars wrongfully deducted. 

his 
GEORGE « GREEN, 
mark. 
Witness : Benj. D. Jones, 2d Lieut. Co. G. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUUS. 71 

Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, March 14th, 1864. 
[Statement of Jacob Riley, a Private in Co K, 14th E-eg't E,. I. H. Artillery.] 
I certify, that I was enlisted at Princeton, Indiana, by William Steins, with the 
promise of three hundred and fifty dollars bounty of which I have received fifty-two 
dollars of the first installment, and have been refused the rest. 

his 
JACOB X RILEY, 
mark. 
Pardon Mason, 2d, Lieut. 14th Reg't R. I. H. Artillery. 



[Statement of Nathan Brown, Co. M, 14th Reg't R. I. H. A.] 
I certify, that I was enlisted in Providence, R. I., by Major Engley, for the 14th 
Regiment R. I. H. A., and was promised a bounty of ($300) thrdc hundred dollars. 
I only received ($25) twenty-five dollars of my second installment. The Paymaster 
told me I would rective the remainder at the next pay day. I have never signed 
away any of my bounty. 

his 
NATHAN X BROWN, 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M., 14th Reg't U. I. H. A. 

[Statement of Arthur Paine, Co. M, 14th Reg't R. I. H. A.] 
I certify, that I enlisted in Chambersburg, in the State of Pennsylvania, for the 
14th Reg't R. I. H. A., and that I was promised a bounty of three hundred and 
fifty dollars, ($350). I received but fifty dollars ($50) of my first installment, and 
four dollars (.$4) of my second. I had twenty dollars in goods from Snow and 
Barnaby, sutlers. I did not sign away any of ray bounty. 

his 
ARTHUR >i PAINE, 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co. M, 14th Reg't R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 
[Statement of Moses Fry, a private in the 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 
I certify that I was enlisted by Colonel Condy, at Jeffersonville, Indiana, with the 
promise of three hundred and fifty dollars bounty. I have received fifty dollars as the 
first installment, and the Paymaster told me that Major Engley and Colonel Condy 
had the rest of my money. I have never bought anything, or signed my bounty 
over to Major Engley or Colonel Condy. 

his 
MOSES M FRY. 
mark. 
Witness : Pardon Mason, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 15th, 1864. 
[Statement of private Henry Downing, Co. I, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 
I was enlisted in New York City, by Jack Halliards, (colored) for Mnjor J. C. 
Engley. I have never received any bounty, or been able to learn why I have not 
received it. Jack (or John) Halliard paid my wife five (§5) dollars, and I have been 
told that he received the whole of it, that has thus far been paid. 

his 
HENRY ^ DOWNING, 
mark. ^ 

Witness : Benjamin D. Jones, Lieut. Co. I. 



[Statement of Corporal Joseph R. Parker, Co. M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 
I certify that I wns enlisted in Providence by Major Engley, for the 14th Regt. R. 
I. H. A., and was promised a bounty of (§300) three hundred dollars. Of my second 
installment, I received only ($25) twenty-five dollars ; the Paymaster told me I would 
be paid the rest at some future time. I have never signed away any of my bounty. 

his 
JOSEPH R. X PARKER, 
mark. 
Witness : Lieut. Frank Frost, Co . M, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



72 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 
[Statement of Calvin Read, a private in Co. K, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 
His name appears upon the roll as a contraband. 

I, Calvin Read, swear that I have been a tVee man for the last twenty-eight years. 
I was enlisted at Indianapolis, Indiana, by Colonel Condy, with tlie understanding 
that I should have three hundred and fifty dollars bounty. I received fifty dollars of 
the first installment of my bounty, but have been refused the rest. I asked the said 
Condy if there would be any need of my bringing my free papers with me, and he 
told me no. I was brought from Indianapolis to Major Engley's oflBce at Providence. 

his 
CALVIN X READ, 
mark. 
Witness: Pardon Mason, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, R. I. March 13th, 1864. 
[Statement of Sergeant John Jackson, of Co. I, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 
I enlisted under Major Engley tor >!300. "When the first seventy -five dollars was 
paid to the rest of the company in Providence, I only got $60 ; I enquired of the 
Paymaster Avhy I did not get seventy-five dollars, the same as the rest, and he told me 
that Major Engley had drawn $25 of my money. I never signed any papers for 
Major Engley, or made any bargain with him at all, giving him any of my bounty. 

his 
Sergeant JOHN « JACKSON, 
mark. 
"Witness; Capt. S. Farndm. 



[Camp Bailey, R. I., March 15th, 1864. 
[Statement of private Brister Frances, Co. I, 14th Regt. R. I. H. A.] 
Mr. Angel, a recruiting agent, took my name in New York for a watch, which he 
said I should receive in Providence, if 1 passed the doctor, the price of which (•'§20) 
should be taken out of my last installment of bounty. I never received the watch or 
saw it, but the price was deducted from the first installment of bounty. 

his 
BRISKER X FRANCES, 
mark. 
"Witness : Benj. D. Jones, Lieut. 



Camp Bailey, R. I.', March 13th, 1864. 
[Statement of Richard Clark, Corporal Co. I, 14th Regiment R. I. H. A.] 
I have never bought any goods of Mr. Barnaby, or had any dealings with him 
whatever. 

Corporal RICHARD CLARK. 
A bill of ($11) eleven dollars was presented to Corporal Richard Clark, for goods 
said to have been purchased of Mr. Barnaby. The amount was taken from Corporal 
Clark's bounty at the last payment. 

CAPT. SAMUEL FARNUM, 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, R. I., March 13th, 1864. 
[Statement of Private Charles H. Derby, of Co. I, 14th Regiment R. I. H. A.] 
I only got $2.5 of my first installment of bounty, the balance, $.50, being withheld 
from me by Mr. Downing. The paymaster told me that he had paid Mr. Downing 
^50 of my bounty; but I never had any dealings with him, or signed any paper 
except my enlistment papers. I enlisted for Mr. Downing. 

CHARLES HENRY DERBY. 
Witness ; Capt. S. Farnum. 



Camp Bailey, R. I., March 13th, 1864. 
[Statement of Sergeant Henry A. Berryman, of Co. I, 14th Regiment, R. I. H. A. 
The paymaster took ($8) from my last installment of bounty, on account of a bill 
of that amount from Mr. Snow. I never bought any goods from Mr. Snow at all. 

his 
Sergeant HENRY A. m BERRYMAN. 
mark. 
Witness : Capt. S. Farnum. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 73 

Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 
I certify that at the second installment I only received twenty-five dollars, leaving 
fifty dollars to be accounted for. 

his 
GEOKGE >i GORDON. 
mark. 
Witness : Chakles M, Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regiment R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 15, 1864. 
I certify, that at the second installment of bounty, I received but three dollars in 
money and a bill of one dollar on the sutler, which was paid, leaving seventy-one 
dollars that 1 have had nothing for. 

his 
JOHN X H. DORSEY. 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Reg't R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 15, 1864. 
I certify, that at the second installment of bountj', I received seventeen dollars in 
money, a bill of five dollars on J. B. Barnaby and one of three dollars on the sutler, 
which I suppose were paid, leaving fifty dollars to be accounted for, for which I 
have had nothing. 

GEORGE W. HAWKINS. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Reg't R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 
I certify that I was promised my bounty of three hundred dollars from the State 
in three installments upon my coming to Dutch Island. At the first installment I 
received none, for a reason unknown to myself. 

JONES A. BROWN. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Reg't R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14, 1864. 
I certify, that at thB second installment of bounty I only received twenty-five dol- 
lars, bills all being paid. Of the other fifty I cannot find any clue. 

WILLIAM L. JOHNSON. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Reg't R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 

I certify that I was promised my bounty of three hundred dollars from the State in 
three installments, upon my coming to Dutch Island. 

At the second installment I received but ($52) fifty-two dollars and a bill of goods 
to the amount of ($15) fifteen dollars, bought of J. B. Barnaby. All that I bought of 
him was a pin and neck tie, which they told me would be ($1) one dollar. 

I have not had anything whatever of anybody for which this amount of ($22) twen- 
ty-two dollars should be stopped. 

JOHN G. HILL. 

Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut., 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. L, March 14th, 1864. 
I certify that I only got eleven dollars on the second installment of bounty, two sut- 
ler's bills being paid fourteen dollars, the "whole amounting to twenty-five dollars, leav- 
ing fifty dollars to be accounted for. 

his 
JAMES X M. JACKSON, 
mark. 
Witness : Chables M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 

10 



74 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 
I certify that at the first installment I received fifty dollars. I contracted a bill of 
five dollars on tiie sutler, which I suppose was paid, leaving twenty dollars that I 
have not received. At the second installment I received forty dollars in money. A 
bill of ten dollars on the sutler, and one of nine dollars on J. B. Barnaby, which I 
suppose were paid, leaves sixteen dollars due. 

his 
HENRY X JACKSON. 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. L, March 15th, 1864. 
I certify that at the second installment of bounty, I received fort3'-nine dollars in 
money. A bill of nine dollars on J. B. Barnaby, which I suppose was i)aid, leaves 
seventeen dollars due me. I have never had anything for which this amount should 
be stopped. 

his 
ABRAM X BROKER, 
mark. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



Camp Bailey, Dutch Island, R. I., March 14th, 1864. 
I certify that at the second installment, I only received twenty-six dollars in money, 
a bill of ten dollars on the sutler was correct, but a bill of J. B. Barnaby of thirty- 
nine dollars was wrong, and should have been nineteen dollars. The other twenty 
dollars I cannot account for. 

WILLIAM B. G. CORSTA. 
Witness : Charles M. Smith, 2d Lieut. 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 



[Statement of Francisco M. Ballou.] 

February 3, 1864. 

Francisco M. Ballou, of Cumberland, captain in 14th Regiment R. I. Heavy Artil- 
lery, was lieutenant 12th Regiment. Returned about August; brought some ten or 
twelve contrabands Irora Kentucky; saw Dr. Helme, who was recruiting for one 
company colored artillery ; wanted me to engage in recruiting; was to have ^10 per 
recruit, tickets furnished in addition to $2 head money, paid by U. S. Paid the 
men nothing, except some refreshments. &c. ; recruited some 80 men with Dr. Helme ; 
with Dr. II. till September 10. Major Ingalls could get men passed by the surgeon 
that Dr. Helme could not; made an arrangement with Major Ingalls; $10 from 
State, $2 U. S., $1 subsistence money from the government ; transportation furnish- 
ed by Major Sandford, he being L^. S. officer; sent 200 men to Major Ingalls. No- 
vember, orders drawn by the recruit on the paymaster for $50 of his bounty favor of 
Major Engley. Some times told the recruit the bounty was $250*. Came to Provi- 
dence ; told Major Engley could not go on longer; Major Sanford and Col. Bailey 
were present in College street ; Major E. proposed to draw the orders for a larger 
amount than $100 on the negroes, which I declined to do. Engley says Major San- 
ford has the recruiting all in his own hands ; now proposes, to make something, to 
take $250 from each man, (in December). Consulted with the Governor; told him 
I had taken too much money, and refunded $100 each on 21 men. Major Engley 
took from some party 20 men, from whom he took $250 each, in addition to the $13. 
Major Sanford said he did not care a damn about any one bringing men, unless thev 
came through his office, so he might make something. Major Sanford told me I 
could not have my commission, unless I brought my men to him instead of Connecti- 
cut, as I told him I should unless he allowed me. !RIajor Engley, holding his commis- 
sion, January 1864, required me to pay him $15 per man for making out papers, &c., 
(this after we dissolved). 

Major Engley and Major Sanford occupied an office together at No. 9 Post Office 
Court ; think I have recruited from 600 to 700 ; all the colored recruits cost the State 
from $310 to $311, beside transportation, and Major Engley practiced taking back 
these recruits to assist him in recruiting others, being furnished with transportation 
tickets by Major Sanford to take these parties both ways. 

C. A. Fuller is an agent ; boards at Aldrich House ; brought three men to Major 
Engley, (last night.) Fuller told me that Major Engley took $200 and $250 from 
men brought last week. Wm. Bush, a colored boy, in Major Engley's office, acting 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 75 

as his clerk, but is an enlisted man. Fred. Sheldon, also employed by Major Engley. 
Major E. forbid me to sell any more watches ; that the paymaster would not accept 
the orders ; then, immediately after, Major E. sold, through Sheldon, thirty Avatches 
to the recruits in one night. Sheldon told me he received no benefit from the sale. 

John Noyes is clerk to Major Engley, and may testify to the amount of the orders 
taken from colored recruits by Major E. — they not knowing the amount of bounty or 
the orders. 

Mr. Hill says that Major E. took away from him eight men, and got $50 orders 
from each, and they say, before witnesses in camp, that they were told the orders 
were but $25. Hill got nothing ; Major E. got the $50 each, and cost of transporta- 
tion. Mr. Hill says, and Mr. Eallou saj'S, that the manThurber, who brought these 
eight men for Hill, told them that Major E. agreed with him to make these $50 
orders and not let the recruits know it. • 



Providence, February 20th, 1864. 
Nelson Viall, Lieut. Colonel \4cth Reg. H. Artillery, Rhode Island : 

Dear Sir : — I am ordered by Col. Bailey to ask you to report to his ofHce this P. 
M. at 6 o'clock. 

Very respectfully, your ob't serv't, 

J. C. ENGLEY, 
MaJ. I4:th Reg. H. Artillery. 
By L. S. Chase. 

On the 20th of February, 1864, the writer of this order (Luke Chase) held a 
paper exacting ($20) twenty dollars of a man of my Regiment, to wit, David 
Howard. I warned him of the crime, he replied with insults, and I struck him. 
He reported the fact to Col. Charles E. Bailey, who sustained him in his course, and 
ordered him to write this order, which I received, and reported, and learned that 
Mr. Chace was sustained. After being censured for what I believed to be my duty 
in looking after the interests of my command, I have no other alternative, but ask 
that the Regiment gets its just dues from these 'agents. His Excellency Governor 
Smith directed me to bring the evidence against these men before the courts, and 
they should be punished. My statements have always been refuted by them, and I 
know His Excellency, once convinced of their conduct, would spurn them from him, 
as he would never countenance such conduct. 

NELSON VIALL, 
Lt. Col. Commanding 14<A Reg. R. I. H. A. 



REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 



TESTIMONY OF F. N. SHELDON. 

Thursday, Jan. 26th, 1864. 

Question. Were you in the employ of Major Enoley at anv time 
and what were your duties ? 

Answer. I was, sir ; from October 14th, 1863, to about the 1st of 
Jan. 1864. I think he paid me for one hundred days. I was em- 
ployed by him in the first place to go to Watei-town, N. Y,, and bring 
forward colored men that was enlisted and pay their fare. There was 
a man there to enlist them. I only superintended their transporta- 
tation to this city. 

Q. Did you make sales to recruits, and if so, what did you sell 
on account of Major Engley, and to what amounts ? 

A. Thei'e were watches, sir. Thirty were sold, (according to 
paper produced by witness,) gloves 67 pairs, &c. These things were 
sold in the room adjoining the recruiting ofhce, and by Mr. Hopkins, 
who was to Avork with me, and who had the understanding with Ma- 
jor Engley ; and Hopkins is now in the United States Hotel, New- 
port. Part of the articles were sold at Dutch Island by him. 

Q. How much was the gross amount of the sales ? 

A. The gross amount of the sales Avas |!2,392.89. It was bought 
at wholesale by him and other parties in the office. 

Q. What was the arrangement between you and him? 

A. Major Engley wanted me to sell these goods, and agreed to 
give me $2 a day. He wanted to get me to cover up everything by 
doing it in my own name. If there Avas any trouble he said he would 
hold me harmless. These goods cost f'1,819.50 ; that Avas the prices 
of the bills that ]\[ajor Engley returned to me. Some of them he 
bought. A good many of them I bought myself, of different parties 
here in the city. He has the names of every person of Avhom we 
bought them. He had about one half of them left. The |2,392.89 
paid for all and left about $500 in money. 

Q. Were the recruits required to sign papers Avhen they Avere 
brought in. 

A. A great many of the recruits brought in signed this paper. 
Some Avould sign that they Avere enlisted for 850 ; some for |lOO ; 
some for $150 bounty, Avhatever Major Engley said. I have heard 
him ask time and time again hoAV much did they agree to enlist for. 

Q. Were they required to sign a paper Avithout being told Avhat 
it was ? 

A. Not that I knoAv of. It Avas read to them, I don't know of 
any to Avhora it Avas not read. 

Q. Who was in the habit of issuing transportation. 

A. In Major Engley's time the order Avas ahA-ays signed by Major 
Engley, and in his absence by the book-keeper, Mr. Noyes. 

Q. Did not IcAvd Avomen use that transportation betAveen here and 
NeAv York ? 

A. I can tell you Avhat I have heard and understood. From my 
own knoAA'ledge I cannot swear to the thing. I haA'e heard and 



ON BOITNTY FRAUDS. 77 

understood that there have been women carried backwards and for- 
wards on government transportation. I have always heard of it, as 
well as when I was with Gen. Frieze and Gen. Cooke, the same 
remark when I was mihtary storekeeper ; and I have seen them 
change their passes so as to try to avoid it. 

Q. Do you know anything about recent recruiting matters ? 

A. No, sir, I do not ; I have not had anything to do with it for 
over a year. 

Q, State any other matters coming to your knowledge relating to 
this subject. 

A. In regard to these men, I would say that, as justice of the 
peace, I swore in a great many of them. I have known Major Eng- 
ley, after they were sworn in and uniformed, to advance the recruit 
$10 or $15 in money, and take the recruits' check to his order for $25 
of his bounty, and he must take the balance of it in these articles of 
Major Engley. In one or two instances only was it less than $10, 
which was for straps and sergeants stripes. Those I would go off and 
buy, and pay for them in money. Others, Avhen they Avould buy 
these goods, Avould sign this order payable to him. I went and got 
insurance out as agent, on that stock of goods. All these orders were 
turned over to Major Engley, either by me or Mr. Hopkins. He 
would take these orders and carry them, I suppose to Col. Francis, 
and get the money on them, for he never had any trouble in getting 
any money from that source whatever, that I know of. I have never 
recruited any men, except two in the first breaking out of the war. 
They were for the First Battery. I was with Gens. Stead, Frieze, 
Cooke and Mauran. I was with them till the 1st of October, 1863. 
After I got through with Major Engley, Engley removed all the 
goods from the store up to his own house. Then, after that, he em- 
ployed Hopkins again to go to Dutch Island and sell them. I know 
nothing about what was done or how much Avas sold. I went to 
Fortress Monroe with Major Engley ; but he was out of pocket on 
that, and did not accomplish anything. 

TESTIMONY OF C. M. STONE. 

I am Cashier of the Atlantic Bank. 

Q. Have you copies of any portion of the account of the late 
Paymaster General? 

A. I have. 

Q. Produce it. 

(The witness produced copies of account from the 25th of March, 
which are annexed to this testimony.) 

A. Among these, there are two or three checks that were signed 
before. One in particular, was signed on the 21th ; it was for 
$15,000, J. B. Hoskins, Cashier. That came in on the 26th, I think. 
It is dated the 24th. 

Q. Is there any other ? 

A. There are two others signed, one to C, R. Drowne, Cashier 
of the Liberty Bank, for $4,000, and one for $3,000 to me. That 



75 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

to me was for money put up the 24th, at the same tmie with Mr. 
Hoskins ; crreenbacks to pay the soldiers. The account is correct 
that is produced here. There is one check I woukl like to point out 
at the bottom ; it is out of line of date ; |31 that we omitted in 
making out the list ; that we found out and had to put it at the bot- 
tom ; it is in April. 

March 25, 18G4, balance $21,961 29 

28, " cash 25,000 00 

April 5, " " 7,143 59 

" 15, " " 213 00 

May 9, " " 1,800 00 

August 10, " " 3,730 00 

October 20, " " 1,585 00 

Nov. 17, " " 1,336 00 

Total §62,768 88 



March 26, 1864, Check J. B. Hoskins, date March 24, 1864, $15,000 00 

" " " " C. M. S., or bearer 3,000 00 

" 29, " " C. R. Drowne, March 26, 1864 4,000 00 

April 5, " " A. D. Smith, 3d, April 3, 1864... 2,459 00 

" 7, " " J. M. Talcott, April 6, 1864 •. 50 00 

" " " " F. Salmen, April 7, 1864 27 00 

" 12, " " C. M., or bearer, April 11, 1864 30 00 

" " " " Lothrop & Co., or bearer, April 12, 1864 40 75 

" 14, " " John W. Noyes, or bearer, April 13, 1864 150 00 

" 1.5, " " Luke S. Chacc, or bearer, April 13, 1864 200 00 

" 22, " " Bank North America, or bearer, April 20, 1864.. 26 00 

May 10, " " J. B. Barnaby, May 6, 1864 32 00 

" 13, " " Bank of North America, or bearer. May 11, 1864 28,000 00 

" 24, " " J. C. Engley, May 16, 1864 725 00 

Nov. 18, " " Samuel A. Parker, G. T., or bearer, Nov. 17, 1864 8,500 00 

April 13, " " Jeremiah Heath, or bearer, April 11, 1864 31 00 

Balance 498 13 

Total $62,768 88 



TESTIMONY OF DAVID E. HOWARD. 

Monday. Feb. 22d, 1864. 

Question. Where do you reside ? 

Answer. In Providence. 

Q. Is this your place of residence ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you always lived here ? 

A. I have always lived here, except when I went away to make 
a Aasit, now and then. 

Q. Have you seen this paper ? 

A. No, sir. I have not read it. It was taken yesterday from my 
statement. 

Q. You can read can't you ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Look that over and see. 

[Examines an affidavit signed by himself.] 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 79 

[Copy.] 

Providence, February 21st, 1864. 
I, David E. Howard, of tlie city of Providence, P. L, am twenty years old ; liave 
been occupied as a servant in the family of Mr. Russell M. Larned, for the last five or 
six years. On Wednesday morning, Pebruarj' 17th, I met Jay West, at the request 
of Quartermaster Pearce of the 14th E. I. H. A., who took me to Dr. Gardiner, for 
the purpose of having me examined to be enlisted in said regiment. I Avas stripped 
and examined by Dr. Gardiner, who told me that he could not pass me as I had a 
rupture. I was much surprised, and told him that I never knew that I had a rup- 
ture, and thought that I would be likely to know it if such was the case. Dr. Gardi- 
ner and West had some private conversation before I was examined. Finding that I 
could not pass, I left them and came down the street. West told me then that he 
would see me that afternoon at 5 o'clock. I failed to meet West at that time ; I was 
half an hour too late. One Thursdar}^ morning I went to the recruiting office (No. 10, 
Custom House street,) and met West ; Mr. Chace (Luke Chace) afterwards came in. 
Before Chace came in, Mr. West told me that Dr. Miller would put me in shape so 
that I could enlist for fifty dollars ; West said that he was a doctor, and could do it for 
twenty -five dollars; I declined to pay it; he then offered to do it for twenty dollars. 
Mr. Chace then came in and said to West that he would get my papers ready to sign. 
On Friday morning I went again to the same office and saw West ; he told me to 
wait a few minutes and Mr. Chace would be in. Mr. Chace came in with the papers 
in his pocket. He had two orders made out on one sheet of paper; laid them on the 
desk and told me to sign them. I saw on one order something about twenty dollars 
for services, and concluded that I was to pay that amount to be enlisted. I supposed 
that the other order was for the same thing, but did not read it. I have reason to 
believe now, that the other order Avas assigning to Mr. Chace seventy-five dollars 
more of my bounty. Mr. Chace put these orders in his pocket. When I signed the 
enlistment papers, I put my name twice on three papers. I am confident that Dr. 
Gardiner's name was on the papers when I signed them. I have since seen the papers 
.and have seen Dr. Gardiner's signature on them. After signing the enlistment papers, 
I was sworn in by Thomas Greene — and mustered in by Capt. Silvey the same day ; 
I also received an order for my clothes, and obtained the clothes. I have made three 
applications for my bounty money, and cannot obtain it. 

(Signed) DAVID E. HOWARD. 

I certify that the above is a true copy, 

WM. E. HAMLIN, 
Captain and Provost Marshal. 

Personally appeared before me this day, February 21st, 1864, in the city of Provi- 
dence, the Avithin named David E. Howard, and made oath that the within statement 
is true, to the best of his knowledge and belief. 

(Signed) WM. E. HAMLIN, 

Justice of the Peace. 

A. I have read this paper through. I think if these orders could 
be obtained, you could tell mine — what they were. 

Q. Who is this Jay West .? 

A. I never saw him before this. The first time I ever saw him 
was at the boat. 

Q. Is he a colored man ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. What boat? 

A. At the tug — the American Union — the one that runs down to 
the Island. 

Q. Does he work on the boat ? 

A. No, sir ; he is recruiting. 

Q. Mr. Thomas. Has he a uniform ? 

A. He had on a uniform coat and a hat with a braid on it. 



80 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. You say that on the 17th of February, you were examined 
by Dr. Gardiner ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. He told you, you had a rupture ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. He rejected you on that account ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he tell you he could cure it ? 

A. No, sir. He did not say anythino; about it ? 

Q. Was it the same day that Dr. Gardiner examined you, that 
you went to the recruiting office on Custom House street ? 

A. No, sir. I did not go there until 5 1-2 o'clock, that afternoon. 

Q. Was it the same day? 

A. Yes, sir; on that afternoon. 

Q. The very same day ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who is this Chace ? . 

A. I do not know, sir. He is a stranger to me. 

Q. Does he keep the recruiting office ? 

A. I do not know, sir, as he does. It is all connected with Ma- 
or Engley's up there. There is another one on Westminster street, 
and another one on College street. 

Q. Is this Major Engley's office, No. 10 College street ? 

A. That's what I was informed by this West. 

Q. Have you seen Major Engley there ? 

A. No, sir. I have not seen him there. 

Q. Did you agree to give West twenty dollars, if he would put 
you through ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You signed an order for twenty dollars ? 

A. I signed something — I suppose so. 

Q. Mr. Thomas. How came you to agree to give him twenty 
dollars. 

A. I told him if he could cure me, so that I could pass the sur- 
geon, I would do it rather than not go. 

Q. Did he suggest in advance that he could get you through ? 

A. Yes, sir. Before I 

Q. Tell what his language was ? 

A. He said, Dr. Miller said he would not touch my case short of 
fifty dollars. That he could cure me if I could pay him that fifty 
dollars. I told him I thought that rather steep. Then he said he 
would agree to do it for twenty-five dollars, and then he came down 
to twenty dollars. I told him I thought that was rather steep, but 
rather than not go I would do it. 

Q. Mr. Chace brought in these orders for you to sign ? 

A. Yes, sir, he took them out of his pocket and said he had them 
ready. I read one of them — just run it over — and I saw an order 
for $20 payable to West. 

Q. Payable to West? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 81 

A. Yes, sir, I think it was ; I could not say certain ; I just run 
it over ; I should have taken more notice of it. 

Q. Did you sign more than one order? 

A. Yes, sir, I sigi;ed the other one. 

Q. Who was the other order payable to ? 

A. I did not take so much notice of the other as I did the first. 

Q. What was the amount and why did you sign ? 
' A, I was- in rather a hurry. I had got through with the enlist- 
ment papers — rwas sitting there at the table and he came in in a great 
haste, and wanted I should sign these orders ; said there was some 
orders for me to sign. 

Q. Did he tell you, you could not be accepted unless you signed 
this order ? 

A. He stated, I should be put in shape so that I could go — that 
this West would put me in shape, and I might call myself lucky to 
get off for the price he named. This West, he said, had hundreds 
and hundreds of just such cases. He said he never failed of curing 
any yet. I do not know whether he cured mine ; I never took any 
notice of it, 

Q. What do you think the other order was ? 

A. Oh, well, I could not positively say. It might have been to 
sign for more money to him and it might not. 

Q. Did you read any of it ? 

A. No, sir, not the least mite of it. 

Q. Was it on .the same sheet of paper ? 

A. I think it was. 

Q. Who took the orders ? 

A. Chace took them and put them into his pocket. 

Q. What did you do then ? 

A. I came off. 

Q. Did you sign any other papers ? 

A. I signed the enlistment papers, previous to signing these orders. 

Q. You signed the enlistment papers, first ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Where did you sign the enlistment papers. 

A. In this office. Chace told me to go down and be sworn in — 
go and get my clothes, and then come over and get my money, and 
I did so. 

Q. ByMr. Hill. How much did they pay you? 

A. When I went over I had not my uniform on, and he told me 
I could not have it until I got my uniform. I came the next morn- 
ing. The next day I went to see Mr. Noyes, and I had my uniform 
on, and he asked me what I wanted, and I told him I wanted my 
money. I told him I expected my money would be paid me. This 
Mr. Chace, he said, I ought not to believe what everybody told me. 
He said I could not get my money until I was mustered in to the 
company — I told him I did not understand it so. I was mustered in 
as a recruit. If mustered in with the company I should get my 
money with the company. 
11 



82 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Who refused to pay this money ? 

A. This Noyes refused to pay it, and Chace refused to pay it ; 
he said as soon as I got my uniform I should have my money ; I 
went the second time ; Noyes was there ; and, the third time Chace 
was there ; he said that he wanted to know what I wanted. I told 
him I wanted ray money, and he said you can't get any ; that Avas 
after he was spoken to about this case. He said he could not get 
money. Then he said Major Engley was not in — said another 
thing — he guessed I should have to wait for my money. Then he 
went on to speak about this case — this statement that I made to the 
Colonel ; I told Colonel Viall, in the first place, after I had agreed 
to give this ^20 ; I went down to Mr. Russell Larned's office ; the 
clerk was there, and I sat down there to write a note ; he asked me 
what I was going to do, and I told him I was going to write a note 
to Quartermaster Pearce about this $20 ; he wanted to know what I 
was going to write ; I told him I thought it was a swindle, and I 
wanted his opinion. That morning I (the boat) did not go down 
early on account of low tide ; I went down and put it into the hands 
of a Captain on board a sloop, and I did not see him again. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. When did you see him ? (Colonel Viall.) 

A. The first time I knew of his being up, he sent for me down 
to the Quartermaster's. Colonel Viall sent word that he wanted to 
see me at the Quartermaster General's. 

Q. By Mr. T. Do you mean the Quartermaster General's office 
or tiie Paymaster's office ? 

A. I mean the Quartermaster General's, down in South Main 
Street; tlien he told mo to meet him half an hour hence on the 
bridge, and I failed to do so. Then I went back to the Quarter- 
master General's, and saw Quartermaster John B. Pearce, and he 
told me he had not seen him there, that he met him at Bowen & 
Clai'k's, and they said the Colonel was to be there at a quarter of 
three o'clock. A gentleman there said he was to be there at two 
o'clock. I supposed by that time I should go ahead and get my 
money ; and then I went over to the office and saw this Noyes, and 
he refused to pay it. Then I went again, and I saw this Chace. 

Q. What did they refuse to pay ? 

A. I told him I wanted my money, and he said he guessed I should 
not get it. Said I, you told me that when I got my uniform, I could 
come and get my money. I have got it on now, and I should like to 
have it. Said I : "I suppose you are the man who pays the m.oney ?" 
He said he had nothing to do with it. You told me to come over as 
soon as I got my uniform, and you would pay this money. Then he 
went on to talking about this that the colonel had spoken to him about. 
He had spoken, he said, about it. I told him I had nothing to say 
about that, I came to get my money, and he would not talk about that. 

Q. Did you sign that, {presenting an enlistment paper). 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And that ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And that? 



j ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 83 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When did you sign those three? 

A. I signed those Thursday, when I was up there. The first 
day I was at Dr. Gardiner's, and that one. That one I signed the 
same day ; and that one I signed the same day. 

Q. Is that (another) your signature ? 

A. Yes, sir ; that I signed last Saturday. I signed that last Sat- 
urday, and then was sworn in by Thomas Greene, and then sworn in 
by Capt. Silvey. 

Q. Was it Saturday or Friday that you signed this ? 

A. This was Saturday ; I believe it was. 

Q. Was Dr. Gardiner's name on it when you signed it? 

A. As nigh as I can recollect, it Avas. I remarked that it was all 
signed. 

A. Was Dr. Gardiner present when you signed it? 

A. No, sir ; it was over in the recruiting office. 

Q. Have you seen Dr. Gardiner since you signed these papers. 

A. No, sir ; I never went before him but once. I remarked that 
this West asked him if I was to go up, and he said, no. He said that 
he had fixed it all straight. 

Q. Did you know you had a rupture ? 

A. I did not know anything about it. I never was troubled. 
I have been out with two regiments. I did not know that anything 
ailed me. 

Q. How many of those did you sign ? 

A. I signed three of them. 

Q. You kept one of them ? 

A. I have not had any of them. I only signed three — twice on 
each — six times. 

Q. This is dated the 19th, that would be Friday? Are you sure 
it was not Friday ? 

A. Yes, sir, it was Friday ; because Saturday was the day I 
got on me this uniform, — because I went up the next day, Saturday, 
to get on my uniform and get my money. 

Q. They never have paid you since ? 

A. No, sir ; they never have. 

Q. Was this second order the same as the first ? 

A. I could not say, sir ; it was a longer order. 

Q. More words in it ? 

A. Yes, sir. Col. Viall said Chace told him I could not write. 
I would like to have him make this order and I would sign it. I 
never told him I could not write. I sat at the table and signed my 
papers, and he remarked that Col. Viall ought to make me a sergeant, 
and flattered me considerably ; but I did not mind his puffing. 

Q. What reason did they give you for not paying you any money ? 

A. The first reason was that I had not got on my uniform, and 
then I Avent and fiot it on. 

Q. This was Saturday ? 

A. No, sir. Friday I got my uniform. I went and got these 



84 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

papers signed, and then "svent to Capt. Silvey and Thomas Greene, 
and then went down and got my uniform. But I came up to Thomas 
Greene's first, and then he said he was going down to Capt. Silvey's ; 
and on Saturday he said go and get an order for a uniform. He 
went up and told me not to come away till he came out. I got tired 
of standing, and went across the street, and theft he came out and 
said he was ready to go down ; and then after that I went down to 
get it. I was speaking about puttting it on. I supposed I should put 
it on as soon as I got it, and he said he had arranged that, and I need 
not put it on until I had altered it. I "wanted some pockets in the 
coat and blouse, &c. I did not Avant to put it on until I had fixed it. 
He said he had arranged it so that I need not put it on. It seems as 
though Captain Silvey had not saia I had got to put it on. I carried 
off the coats to have the pockets put in, and then came up to get my 
money, and ha refused to pay it. 

Q. Mr. Hill. The first time because you had not your uni- 
form on ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What was the next excuse, the next time — the next day? 

A. This Noyes was there ; could not get the money then ; said I 
could not get it until the company was paid off. I told him I was 
not assigned to any company. He said he believed I was assigned. 
I said I supposed I got my money as a recruit. I told him 
beside, that this Chace had told me that I could come and get 
my money as soon as I got my uniform ; and he said (Chace) I must 
not mind what ever}^body said ; and then I- went off and went there 
again, and got there just about dark. I guess there was a light there, 
and this Chace was there, and he Avanted to know what I wanted ; 
and I told him I wanted my money ; and he said that I could not 
get it, that the paymaster was out of town ; he believed that the 
paymaster was out of town. I had seen the paymaster about half an 
hour before that. I did not sCy anything to him about it. I believe 
I asked him when I should get it, and he said 

Q. Mr. Thomas. What makes you think that order was $75 ? 

A. Well, I could not say whether it was $75 or anything else. I 
have no particidar reason. 

Q. There was nobody but Mr. Chace there, when you signed ? 

A. Yes ; this West was there. 

Q. You signed the papers ? 

A. Mr. Chace brought them. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know who signed that ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you know his hand writing? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did he have them after you signed them ? * 

A. Yes, sir ; he put them in his pocket, and said he would fix 
them all right. This West said, up to Dr. Gardiner's, talking about 
enlisting — this business, to Dr. Gardiner — he said a good many, two- 
thirds, did not get but $200 ; quite a number but $150. Dr. Gardiner 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 85 

asked how much he was going to give me, and he said he appeared to 
be a pretty intelligent fellow, and guessed they should have to pay 
$300. On my way back, he asked me how much I expected ; and 
asked me how much it was ; and I told him I believed it was $300 ; 
and he said that was what the quartermaster told him he would 
give me. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You have never been to the paymaster 
for your bounty ? 

A. No, sir; I did not know what course to pursue to get the 
money. 

Q. Do you know Major Engley ? 

A. No, sir. I have never seen him in the office.' 

Q. Do you know Major Sanford ? 

A. Yes, sir. I never spoke to him. I have trusted to these fine 
recruiting officers. 

Q. You know Mr. Pearce ? 

A. Yes, sir. I was to go into his department. 

Q. He was the first one to speak to you ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did lie introduce you to anybody ? 

A. Yes, sir ; he told this West to go up with me* tie had so 
much to do that he could not attend to it. So he went up and got 
the papers and went up there. 

Chair. Q. Did you say you had been in the camp ? 

A. No, sir ; I haven't been in camp yet. 

Q. You have not been mustered in ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By whom ? 

A. Capt. Silvey. After I found I got properly fixed on those 
enlisting papers, I knew I could not get out of it. The signature of 
Dr. Gardiner was there, so then I wrote this note to the quarter- 
master, to know what he thought about it. I thought I would find 
out, before I paid the $20, whether the fellow was entitled to it 
or not. 

Q. Have you seen the Paymaster General ? 

A. No, sir ; I saw him riding I'ound street Saturday, that's all. 

TESTIMONY OF LUKE S. CHACE. 

Question. What is your name ? 
Answer. Luke S. Chace. 
Q. Where do you reside ? 
A. Li Providence, sir. 

Q. Are you at pi-esent engaged in the recruiting business ? 
A. No, sir. I am at work in the recruiting office, but I do no 
business in that line myself. 

Q. What do you do in the office ? 

A. Write in the office. It is not my business to recruit. 

Q. By whom employed ? 

A. Major J. C. Engley. 



86 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Writing for liim ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Filling up enlistment papers ? 

A. Yes, sir ; for Major J. C. Engley ? 

Q. How long Lave you been in Major Engley's office ? 

A. Since the 5th of December, sir, 1863. 

Q. Was that paper filled up by you ? 

A. (Examines.) No, sir. It is not my writing, no portion ot it. 

Q. Any of those ? 

A. Neither of those. There is none of my writing on that one. 

Q. That? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you know whose writing this is ? 

A. Well, I should not be wiiling to swear that I knew whose it 

was, becaiise, I . No, sir. I CQuld not swear I did know 

whose writing it was, — it would be a supposition. 

Q. Have you ever seen these papers before ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you know this David E. Howard ? 

A. J presume I should recognize him if he were shown to me. 

Q. Is this the man ? 

A. Yes, sir ; that's the man brought into the office as Howard. 

Q. Look at that paper. Is any part of that your handwriting? 

A. No, sir. No portion of it ? 

Q. Have you ever seen that paper before ? 

A. I have seen some papers signed by this David E. Howard. 
Whether this is one of them, or not, I could not say. I hardly can say 
that I have seen them. I have noticed them very slightly. I had 
some papers in my hands this morning, but whether this is one of 
them I cannot say. I should very likely suppose so. It might be. 

Q. Was this morning the first time you have ever seen it? 

A. Oh yes, I recollect now ; I remember about them. It seems 
to me I saw this man's papers on Saturday. I knew he had enlisted 
and had some papers ; I had nothing to do with making them out ; I 
have not made out any papers for a number of daj's, as Ave have no 
men from abroad. 

Q. Did he enlist in your office (Major Engley's) where you 
were ? 

A. I presume the papers were made out at No. 10 Custom 
House street ; as I had very few to make out, I was at the other office, 
81 Westminster street, when this man was enlisted ; another par- 
ty enlisted him — an outside man. 

Q. Do you know who it was enlisted him ? 

A. A man by the name of West. 

Q. Is he an agent of Major Engley, or in Major Engley's employ? 

A. I think he is not in his employ ; I never knew him to be, and 
never heard anything about it at all ; he is back and forth, sometimes 
here and sometimes away. 

Q. What makes you think he enlisted this man ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 87 

A. He came to me and said lie had got a man who belongs in the 
city and Avanted to enlist, and wanted to know if he should enlist 
him. 

Q. J. C. Engler appears as the recruiting officer who enlisted 
him ? 

A. Yes, sir, he has to sign all papers. 

Q. This West must have been in his employ if he did the work ? 

A. Well, no sir, I don't so consider it ; I never heard he was in 
his employ ; I never knew he was paid anything by Major Engley ; 
still, it may be so, I cannot say. 

Q. Does this Mr. West stay in the city ? 

A. As I remarked a few moments since ; he is here to-day and 
away to-morrow ; his business takes him to the front, or nearly there ; 
he goes into the field and buys goods for sutlers. 

Q. You don't know where this was made ? 

A. I could not tell you where, I presume at No. 10 Custom 
House street. The same hand writing as these others. 

Q. Did Dr. Gardiner ever sign these papers in blank ? 

A. I never knew him to do so ; I could not say ; I knoAv he is 
very particular whenever I have taken men there, to have the names 
checked when signed ; he is very regular indeed ; first picking out 
the papers of all rejected men. ' I never asked him to sign one in 
blank. 

Q. You have never seen any papers in Major Engley's office ; in 
either of his offices signed by Dr. Gardiner in blank ? 

A. Never, sir. 

Q. Do you know whether that is Dr. Gardiner's signature ? 

A. I should think it was ; it is a very difficult one to counterfieit. 

Q. Did you see him sign it ? 

A. No sir ; I don't know as I ever saw these papers before ; I 
think I have ; I could not say that I had. 

Q. Did you see Dr. Gardiner sign any papers that day ? (last 
Friday? 

A. No sir, I do not think I have seen Dr. Gardiner sign a paper 
for some days until this morning, he signed a duplicate set for me 
after I have given him a certificate, and after a re-examination of the 
man ; I gave him a certificate. I believe that the first papers were 
lost ; at any rate, not to be found, and also made some statement 
before Captain Silvey. That is the only set of papers I have seen 
him sign in a week ; I could not say certain ; I could tell by looking 
at the books when the last papers were made up, but I don't recollect. 

Q. You did not procure him to sign any papers on that day, (the 
19th.) 

A. No, sir ; I had not seen Dr. Gardiner in a number of days, 
until this morning. It is three or four days at least since I have 
seen Dr. Gardiner at all, either at his office or on the street, or at 
our office. 

Q. Did you have any'conversation this morning with Dr. Gardi- 
ner about this paper, or about this man ? 



88 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE * 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you see this David Howard sign any order ? 

A. I did, sir. 

Q. What was the order ? 

A. An order for $20, sir. 

Q. To whom was the order payable ? 

A. Payable to a man by the name of West, I suppose. 

Q. This same West that yon speak of? 

A. Yes, sir. I wrote the order for Mr. West, by request of Mr. 
West. 

Q. And this man ? 

A. He and West were together, and it was as they had no form ; 
he spoke and asked me if I would write an order. 

Q. When was that ? 

A. It was Friday afternoon, I think, between three and four 
o'clock. 

Q. Was this in your office ? 

A. In the office at 10 Custom House street. I happened to be 
going through there. I guess I was going to the North American 
Eating House to get some dinner, and I ran up and through there to 
see if all was right. I went up stairs and they asked my attention to 
it, and I did what they wanted. 

Q. You wrote at the request of both these men ? 

A. No, I don't know ; I believe I wrote the order. I guess — I 
reckon — I have thought so little about it— I believe I wrote the order 
on the morning of the same day — Friday — or about noon-time some- 
where, putting in the most material parts, and leaving out to whom 
the order was payable. 

Q. Who was present when you wrote it ? 

A. I don't recollect of any one's being in the office ; I could 
not say. 

Q. Who requested you to write the order ? 

A. As I said before, the first time I saw the man, I guess, was 
on Friday morning. I went into the office to see if any one was in 
— ^if the doctor was to call and examine, to see if he would come 
down. Sometimes he came, and sometimes not — and this man was 
there. I think this must be the man ; and he says, I am goingi to 
enlist to-day ; I have been trying for a number of days ; and he says, 
I want to see you a moment. Well, says I, what is it ? He stepped 
along, and went into another room, and he says, I want to pay this 
man, West, $20 out of my bounty. Said I, I suppose you can do ir, if 
you choose. Well, said he, how shall I do ? Said I, I suppose you 
can give an order on your bounty. Well, says he, I don't know how 
to write one. Oh, well, says I, West can do it, and went out into 
the other room. They talked it over, and finally, I believe, asked 
me to write— that is, one such as they wanted — did not know any 
particular difference. I had no paper there, as I recollect. I had no 
form, and when I came down to the other office, they signed it. 

Q. Did Mr. Howard sav he wanted to give West an order 
for $20 ? ■ 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 89 

A. He said it is a matter between me and West. I did not know 
what the matter Avas. 

Q. Did he not say what the matter was ? 

A. No, sir ; not to me. 

Q. Did you see him sign the order ? 

A. I noticed that he read the order very carefully, and then 
signed it. I never had seen him write before, and I was surprised, 
and said, you'll have a chance to get a place at the quartermaster's. 
Said he, I have one now, and if I had a better pen I could write 
better. 

Q. Was there more than one order ? 

A. I don't know of another — there might have been ? 

Q. Was there more than one order written on the paper — that 
same half-sheet of paper ? 

A. Nothing on that sheet of paper. There was a bill attached 
to it. 

Q. A bill against this man ? 

A. A bill for advice and attendance. That I wrote at their request 
— a bill of West against this man Howard for advice and attendance. 

Q. On the top of the sheet? 

A. The order was drawn underneath. The whole was on one 
sheet of paper. 

Q. What was the amount of the bill ? 

A. $20. The order was written to pay the above bill. I wrote 
the bill and the order both at the same time. 

Q. Is West a physician ? 

A. Well, he claims to be some kind of a one. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. What is this West's name? 

A. J. West. Whether it is some initial, or whether it is J-a-y, 
I don't know. I never knew him in any other way than as Capt. 
West. 

Q. Does he hold a commission ? 

A I don't know, sir. My acquaintance dates back of the time of 
raising this regiment. 

Q. By the Chairman. Do you know who holds that order on 
Mr. West ? 

A. No, sir, I only had that order for a little while. 

Q. Will you repeat, as nearly as you can recollect, how the order 
was written — the language of it ? 

A. I think it read thus : Paymaster General of the State of R. 
I., please pay the above bill and deduct the same from my first State 
bounty, as a recruit for the 14th Regt. R. I. H. A. I believe that 
was the form. It is a matter in which I took so little interest ; I was 
merely doing it to accommodate, as he had done me in a immber of 
instances. It did not get impressed upon my mind, and consequently 
have not a very distinct recollection. 

Q. Are you sure he did not sign his name to both of these papers ? 
Did not he sign twice ? 

A. I saw West receipt the bill, and this man signed the order 

12' 



90 REPORT OF FINALS CE COMMITTEE 

under it. The whole never was torn apart ; the bill and the order 
were both attached. 

Q. Consequently, Avhen the order was paid, the bill would be 
sent to the man receipted ? 

A. I suppose that would be the way. I had o-ot it out of my 
hands, and I had nothing further to do with it. 

Q, Do you recollect what the items were? 

A. It was only one item, that of advice and attendance — doctor's 
bill. 

Q. Did you know at that time that Howard had been rejected 
by the examining surgeon ? 

A. No, sir, I did not ; I knew nothing about the man — not a 
thing — I could not have told where he belonged ; I guess I did not 
know where he belonged until Saturday morning ; it might have 
been earlier than that. I never looked at the papers — didn't read 
them. This party had made out the papers, and was acquainted 
with the whole business of enlisting men as much as I was, and as 
the man belonged to him or was sent to him by some party — 

Q. Why did he ask you to write the order, if he was acquainted 
with the business ? 

A. That I do not know ; perhaps, because he did not like to 
write it himself. . I presume he asked me, from the fact, that I had 
asked him to do some business for me in Washington, and, perhaps, 
he wanted I should accommodate him a little, as well as he should 
accommodate me. I asked this man (Howard) very particularly at 
the time if this matter was all straight, before anything further was 
done about the matter ; I a§ked if everything was satisfactory on his 
part, and he acknowledged that it was. 

Q. Did you know whether Mr. West had this paper signed by 
Dr. Gardiner at that time ? 

A. 1 know nothing about that matter ; I did not even know that 
Dr. Gardiner signed the papers — I could not say. 

Q. Had Mr. West ever said anything about this man before that? 

A. No, sir, until, I suppose, three minutes — it may be five min- 
utes before^ — because I had not an idea but what the matter was 
entirely straight on his part, and was very much surprised to hear 
anythhio to the contrary ; I little suspected anything out of the way. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You have heard to the contrary ? 

A. I heard that this man had repudiated his bill, although he 
afterwards told me he did not. 

Q. By the Chairman. Has he called on you for his bounty? 

A. Yes, sir, he came and wanted to know when he could get it ; 
he did not call on me for it, because I never pay them. I told him 
the Paymaster was away — that it was too late for the Paymaster 
then, and that he could not get his pay. It was six o'clock on Satur- 
day evening, and, in the first place when he came and wanted it, he 
was without his uniform ; I said he never would pay anything with- 
out the man had his uniform on. Howard said, " I have taken off 
mine to have some pockets put in ;"' and I said. I don't know whether 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 91 

he will pay you without your uniform on or not ; I said I don't pay 
out any money — it's after the Paymaster's hours, and I could not 
pay him. I don't know how they have paid the men of the Four- 
teenth Regiment since they have filled up this last battalion. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Has it not been the custom in that office 
to pay men the bounties ? 

A. Yes, sir, they used to advance men $25 ; but that was stopped 
for some reason or other, and I don't know how they have paid them 
since. Sometimes the men ask about it, and I would go and ask 
Major Engley when it was going to be paid. He would reply : " Oh, 
well, when you get an order," or " when it comes," or "I will see." 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. The Governor's order authorizes its being 
paid on being sworn in ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. There has been a system in that office of furnishing this twenty 
iive dollars without reference to the Paymaster? 

A. Oh, yes. 

Q. Was there any exception about it, except where thei-e was no 
money coming to the man ? 

A. I could not pay, because I had not any authority. 

Q. Will you state the system by which they got their bounties ? 

A. In the first place we enlist the man and he signs the papers — 
the papers are hilled up and he signs them ; he writes his name or 
makes his mark and it is witnessed, and then he is taken before Dr. 
Gardiner and examined ; and if he passes, the Doctor signs it ; if not, 
he ordinarily takes charge of the papers, very seldom leaves them 
behind unless marked, and if not signed by the Doctor they are 
worthless of course ; then he is taken before a justice of the peace 
and sworn in ; from there, before Captain Silvey and mustered ; from 
there he goes to the clothing department, and gets his uniform. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. What do they carry to the Quartermaster 
or his agents, for a uniform? 

A. An order. 

Q. From w^hom ? « 

A. Major Engley. 

Q. This boy had that order ? 

A. I guess so ; because he could not get it without. I don't know 
as they ever drew a uniform without ; it may have been so in one 
case. 

Q. By the Chairman. Is that the only paper that the Quarter- 
master has ? 

A. No. He has a special order from the Governor for clothing 
all the men. I don't know how it reads. I have read it, it said, 
general order to clothe. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. On whose private order was the clothing 
on? On yours? 

A. I never drew an order for clothing. Major Engley by his 
attorney does so, and it is charged to the account of special orders I 
suppose in the Quartermaster's department. 



92 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. By the Chairman. Are not yon authorized to use Major 
Englev's name in drawing an order on the Quartermaster ? 

A. " No, sir. 

Q. In his business who does draw the orders ? 

A. His attorney, Mr. Noyes. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Was Mr. Noyes absent when this man 
came for his bounty ? 

A. Yes, sir,' he was absent — absent Saturday night — when he 
came in there, he was out. 

Q. Are these papers in Mr. Noyes handwriting ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Mr. West's, are they ? 

A. I don't know. I don't know, sir. There is Mr. Noyes' hand- 
writing — J. C. Engley in there — that is the reason why I sup- 
posed 1 might have seen that paper before. 

Q. You iiave been in Mr. Engley's office since early in December ? 

A. December 5th. 

Q. Were you at any time previous to that in his office, or in any 
way connected with him ? 

A. Not previous to that. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. All the business you carry on there, you 
do for him ? 

A. Yes, sir. I have no other business at all ; that is, all the busi- 
ness I do in his office. This matter of these orders I did not consider 
his business in no way. I done tliat to accommodate another party ; 
to accommodate a friend who asked me, and I was in the habit of 
getting accommodations myself. All the business I do in his office is 
done for him. 

Q. Have you sold any watches, or other property, to any of the 
recruits in this regiment. 

A. Neither watches, or anything else, in any way, or shape, or 
fashion. 

Q. Have you known of any being sold at either of Major Engley's 
offices? 

A. Allow me to correct myself, as to the first statement. I had 
a watch in ray pocket that I had carried two years, which I did sell 
to one of the men after being importuned three days for me to let him 
have it. By the consent of other parties, whom I asked what they 
thought I had better do with it, I did sell the watch I had carried 
myself for two years, and that's the only thing I have sold. I 
liad forgotten that when you asked me that question. That's the only 
thing I have ever sold — watches or anything else — to the men belong- 
ing to the Fourteenth Regiment. 

Q. How were you paid for that ? 

A. That was paid by an order. He gave an order for it. 

Q. How much was it ? 

A. $30. I have seen the man a number of times since, and he is 
perfectly satisfied with his bargain ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 93 

Q. Have you known of any watches or other property being sold 
to these men, by any person in or about Major Engley's office ? 

A. Well, I suppose I have not seen or known of watches being sold 
about his office, I don't know as I ever saw them sold about his office, 
or in his office. I ran into his office at one time, I don't know when 
exactly, but I should think likely it might have been the last of 
November, to ask for a man, and I saw watches in the office. 
Whether there was any sold or not, I could not say. I only went 
and looked into the door, and turned right about and went out. 
Whether I know that there was any sold or not, I could not say, for 
I don't know as any watches were sold at that time. 

Q. Havn't you any reason to suppose that watches were sold to 
these men ? 

A. I have some reason to suppose — no other than as men say they 
have bought watches of some one or other. I have been accused of 
having sold watches ; but I deny the charge, with this one exception 
I have stated. ^ 

Q. What kind of watches were those you saw ? 

A. I never stopped to examine. I stepped into the door, and 
might have gone in three or four steps, and turned and went out. 

Q. Who had charge of those watches ? 

A. I don't know anything about it. I could not tell anything 
about who the man was. I don't know as there were but two men 
in the office that I knew at the time. 

Q. Who were they? 

A. I think Mr. Engley and Mr. Noyes were both in the office, 
and I asked is Mr. Helme in ? and turned and went out. 

Q. Have you heard any of the men say they bought watches of 
Major Engley, or any person in his office? 

A. I never heard them say anything about it as I recollect. 

Q. Have you heard Major Engley ? 

A. I have heard him talk, and some others talk and tell about it 
— something, I could not swear what. 

Q. Did you ever hear Major Engley say anything about selling 
watches to these men ? 
. A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you ever hear Mr. Noyes ? 

A. I do not recollect. 

Q. Was Mr. Sheldon ever in the office ? 

A. He has been in that office. 

Q. Have you ever heard him say anything about it ? 

A. Yes, sir, I hav^ j 

Q. Have you ever heard him say that he sold watches to these 
men — any of them ? 

A. Well, I don't know as I ever heard him say that he had done 
it or not ; I could not say ; I should not wish to be positive in the 
matter. 

Q. Have you stated all you know about the watch trade carried 
on there ? 



94 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. Well, I know there were watches sold to the men about there; 
I know that I have seen them give orders for watches. 

Q. To whom were the orders payable ? 

A. The orders say for themselves. 

Q. Don't you know 

A. I think the orders Avere payable to Sheldon — all of them. 

Q. Did you write the orders? 

A. No, sir, the orders were partly printed and then filled up ; 
I now and then filled up an order ; I guess I filled up one or two ; I 
don't know what I filled them for ; I filled up certain orders — am not 
certain what article ; but, judging from the price, I surmised what it 
might be. I would not swear that I filled up an order for a watch, 
except that I spoke about individually. 

Q. AVhen you filled up orders, were the parties present and 
signed them ? 

A. Oh, yes, sir. ^ 

Q. Did not you know from what was said, that they were 
for watches ? 

A. Oh, judging from what they said, I suppose that was what 
they were for. 

Q. Don't you know ? 

A. I did not know ; I could not know, unless I sold them myself; 
I had every reason to suppose they were for a watch. 

Q. Did you ever look at them to know anything about their 
character ? 

A. I have looked — I have seen men that had them in the office — 
I have occasionally looked at them. 

Q. What kind of watches were they ? 

A. I don't know ; they were Tobias watches — Tobias, Liverpool, 
was the name on them ; I don't know whether they were Lepine or 
Lever; I don't know myself; don't know where they were obtained. 

Q. Did you know anything about the watches, to know anything 
about their value ? 

A. No, sir, I am not well enough acquainted with watches to 
know or tell anything about that at all. I never bought but one 
watch in my life, as I know of, and that I bought a few days after I 
sold my own ; I went and bought another. 

Q. These orders for watches, so far as you know, personally, 
were all in favor of Sheldon ? Do you know whether Sheldon was 
in the employ of Engley ? 

A. I don't know, sir. I don't know of any man in his employ, 
except Mr. Noyes ; I know he is, because I .heard them talk about 
it. He is attorney, and appointed and acting by written authority. 
I judge that Mr. Noyes is in his employ; of any other man, I could 
not say whether he was in his employ or not. 

Q. Have you ever been sutler to the Fourteenth Regiment ? 

A. No, sir ; and to no other regiment. As I remarked, I never 
sold anything to a colored man. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 95 

David E. Howard was permitted to ask the witness questions. 

Q. I should like to know if I gave him authority to say — if I said 
anything about this order ? 

A. Certainly you did. 

Q. I know you made a statement that I did not think quite right. 
You said I could not write. 

A. No ; I did not. 

Mr. Chace to Mr. Howard. Did you read the order, or not ? 

H. I read the first one. I could not swear what the second was. 
I signed two documents. 

Chace. You never signed two in my presence. 

Mr. Thomas to Mr. Howard. Q. Did you ask Mr. Chace in 
the morning to make such an order ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not. 

Q. Was it in the afternoon Avhen he did make it ? Had you 
spoken to him before about making an order ? 

A. No, sir ; I had said nothing. 

Q. Did you speak to him about it? 

A. No, sir. He drew the order out of his pocket, and said he 
had those orders drawn up, and wanted me to sign them. 

Q. Who wanted you to sign them ? 

A. Mr. Chace. 

Q. But, in regard to asking him to draw up the order, you said 
nothing ? 

A. Nothing. 

Q. Did he write the orders in your presence ? 

A. No, sir ; they wei'e not written there, while I was there. 

Q. Had you previously said anything about giving the order. 

A. No, sir ; nothing was said about orders to me. When I 
saw those orders, it was something about $20 that was named there ; 
of course, I signed it; but the second order I did not take particular 
notice of enough to read it ; but I signed it. 

To Mr. Chace. Chair. Q. Is it not customary to sign duplicate 
orders. 

A. I never heard of it ; I never heard of anything of the kind. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. This order business could be disposed of if 
this order could be found. Do you know where it could be obtained ? 

A. On Saturday morning. West came to me and said, have you 
the order I gave you yesterday ? I said, no. Where is it ? said he ; 
at the Paymaster's, I gave it to him. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did you draw the money on the order ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Why is it left at the Paymaster's ? 

A. Why, he took the order with him when he went to pay the 
man. 

Q. But there is advance money. 

A. I do not know any thing about that. 

Q. Why did you do that, if it was the practice to pay in the 
office ? 



96 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. There was an order came that stopped the payment of twen- 
ty-five dollars. I never knew anything about the arrangement. I 
simply know that the men got twenty-five dollars when they Avere 
sworn in, or when they were uniformed. 

Q. By whom was the order paid ? 

A. By the Paymaster. 

Q. You knew that Major Engley had advanced that money ? 

A. I know it has been paid in his office, and some time or other 
I heard that no more men were to be paid so. Why it was stopped, 
I could not tell. The orders being on the Paymaster individually to 
pay. This order I lodged with the Paymaster for collection. 

Q. You would do that in any other case. 

A. Yes, of course. I suppose I should. 

Q. Has it not been the practice with orders to make reports of 
these orders, and draw the money on them for the men ? 

A. I don't know about that. That is a part of the business I 
have never had to do. 

Q. By the Chairman. Did Mr. West request you to take it to 
the Paymaster ? 

A. He requested me to get it collected, that being the only way 
I knew of, I carried it in and threw it pn the table to the Paymaster; 
when I went there (a quarter before two) I was going in to the Pay- 
master's to assist him (since the veterans came) in paying the 
veterans. West either came there, or I met him, and he asked me 
of the order ; said he, "can you get it," "yes," said I, "I suppose 
so," I don't know, I am going where I left it, and he said I will go 
along with you ; I walked in, the Paymaster was not in ; he very 
soon came in, I said to the Paymastei", what did you do with the 
order I gave'you last ; said he, you will find it in "matters to- be 
attended to.'' I believe I went there and the man that sat there 
said " here it is," and I took it out of the box and gave it to him 
(West,) and he passed out. Since then I have heard no more about 
it, and cannot say where the order is, or what became of it ; I merely 
imagine where now, I do not know. The man told me that he did 
not repudiate the order, on Saturday, and was willing to pay what he 
agreed to pay, perfectly willing ; but somebody had told him that 
he ought not to pay it. There is another matter in regard to this 
West ; he told me, the first time he said anything about it, that 
the man was sent to him by Pearce — Quartermaster Pearce — for 
him to enlist, and when asked, Avho claims the head-money on this 
man ? he says I don't know anything about the man ; and he says, 
Quartermaster Pearce claims the head-money. Consequently we did 
not enter him at all. He don't belong to us 

Q. Is that probably the reason that this bounty is not paid by 
Engley ? 

A. I do not know. I don't understand why that matter is differ- 
ent from what it had been a week or two ago. 

Q. Did I understand you that when you went to the paymaster 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 97 

to inquire about this order, did you take the order ? 

A. West was with me, and I took the order out of the box and 
handed it to West, without opening it or looking at it, and West took 
it and carried it off, and I have never seen it from that time to this. 

Q. Is it not now in the paymaster's office? 

A. I don't know; I only know that I took it out. 

Q. Where is AYest now ? 

A. I do not knoAv, sir. I saAv him Saturday night, and he told 
me he was going to Washington ; said he, " I was going to Wash- 
ington to-night, but I am going to stay out here on account cf this 
matter." " I think," he says, " I am going out into the country to- 
morrow — that would be Sunday — and shall return about noon on 
Monday." But where he was going, or whether he will be back 
again or not, I don't know. 

Q. You said before that you did not know that he had any con- 
nection with Engley at present. Do you know whether he has been 
at any time connected with recruiting ? 

A. I can't say. 

Q. Don't you know? 

A. I have seen him about the office ; but whether he was at 
woi'k for Major Engley or not, I do not know. He might have been 
about the office like a great many other men. He is a man very 
accommodating ; ready to do any little chores ; to look after men ; 
take them down to get them clothed, or do anything of that kind. 
Whether he ever received any remuneration for it I could not say. 

David E. Howard was then re-called. 

Q. By the Chairman. When you signed this paper (this order) 
did you see any bill on the paper ? 

A. I saw something on there for services — something about ser- 
vices on the one I signed first. 

Q. The one on the top of the paper ? 

A. I signed two orders, and I knew it. 

Q. You saw something on the top of the paper — saw something 

about services ? 

A. That, I could not say ; I knew it was paying $20 for services. 

Q. You signed the first one ? 

A. Yes, sir, and signed the second one. 

Q. You signed your name twice ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How was the first one wiitten ? was it written in this form : 
David E. Howard to Jay West Dr. ? 

A. I did not take particular notice. 

Q. Did you see the letters D. R, on it ? 

A. I cannot say as I did. 

Q. Did you see any figures on the top ? 

A. I believe it was dated. 

Q. Did you see an}'' sum of money expressed in figures ? 

A. Twenty dollai's. 

13 



98 REPORT or THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Were they at the right hand of the page? 

A. I could not say, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Was the bill receipted that you signed ? 
Did Mr. West sign his name on the paper before you signed yours ? 

A. I don't recollect. 

Q. You have heard this testimony of getting up and sitting down 
to the bill and signing it ? 

A. I could not say Avhether I got up and let West sit down, or 
he got up and let me sit down. 

Q. By the Chairman. Do you know that he signed any paper ? 

A. I have no recollection about it — I think he did. I think 
there was something said. I should never have thought of it if Mr. 
Chace had not remarked on it ; it appears to me he did sit down. 

To Mr. Chace. Mr. West showed them enlistment papers to you 
and showed you my hand writing. 

Mr. Chace. Ditl not understand it so. 

Howard. He said, there's his hand writing — he has just signed the 
enlisting papers. I had signed my papers when you came in. 

Q. Which did you sign first, the enlistment papers or the orders? 

A. I signed the enlistment papers, and Mr. Chace came in and 
said he had the orders ready, and pulled them out of his pocket. 

Q. Where did Mr. Chace come from? 

A. He came in from outside, somewhere ; he came in at the door; 
I had signed my papers when he was coming up stairs and opened 
the door and I saw it was him. 

Q. Did Mr. West tell you. he had got the papers signed ? 

A. He said to me : "you thought I could not get them signed." 
Said I : " I did not think anything about it." He said : "you see I 
have got them signed," He said : " I have studied in Dr. Gardiner's 
office." I don't know what he studied there. 

Q. What did Mr. West do for you ? 

A. He gave me his medicine and told me to rub it on this place. 
He strung me up and made me feel pretty sore, and I pulled the rag 
off, and I haven't had it on since ; I thought it was more pain than 
I bargained for, and I told him when he was putting it on that " I 
guessed he calculated to string me up." He said, " but that will make 
you very comfortable to walk." I thought it did before I got home, 
and so 1 pulled it off. 

Q. Was you ever troubled about walking ? 

A. No, sir, I have walked a good many miles. 

TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM N. BROWN. 

Friday. Jan. 27, 1865. 

I have been for the past three years recruiting officer in the office 
of Major Sanford. 

Question, During that time I want to direct your attention to the 
manner of recruiting the colored regiment. 

Answer. As far as I am concerned with the Fourteenth, when 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 99 

the regiment first began, tliey commenced in the office witli Major 
Sanford and myself — two companies. They received their full boun- 
ty, and whoever brought them received twelve dollars per head. 
Then Major Engley took hold. At that time he went to New York 
and west of New York, and began to bring them on. I do not know 
what contract he had with Major Sanford or the Governor, or anything 
of the kind ; but when the men came, (he had one or two lots come to 
this office where we were,) I saw the men go up and sign a document; 
what it was I do not know. They did not ask any questions. They 
did not appear to know. I thought they thought that was the mode of 
enlistment. I saw the papers lying around. I was connected with the 
light artillery. Major Sanford wanted me to keep on with the light ar- 
tillery. I told him that he must remove Major Engley from my office, 
because we could not recruit whites and blacks in the same office. 
He said if I would hire an office for Major Engley, he would remove 
him. I engaged two rooms at No. 10 Custom House street, and 
Engley fitted them up, and that business was carried on there. Major 
Engley fitted them up. That business was carried on for the Four- 
teenth there. Men would be coming in nights from the west ; some 
from as far west as Indianapolis. I never saw a squad come there 
during my life that did not have to go through with this ceremony. 
I read one or two of the papers, saying that the Paymaster General 
of the State of Rhode Island will please pay to J. C. Engley the sum 
of money named in the order. These papers were not read by the 
recruits. Once in a while one would kind of kick, and then they 
would keep right on, and let the rest sign, and take him out one side. 
That continued to be the practice so far as I know. I was opposed 
to all this idea, anyway. I could go into it as well as anybody. I 
told Major Sanford all the time, " There will be an after-clap to all 
this, and I don't want it to come back on me." Major Sanford thought 
it would go on all straight, and said that it cost a great deal to get the 
men here. 

Q. Do you know what understanding there was between Major 
Engley and Major' Sanford? 

A. I do not. They saw I was opposed to it, and never had any 
talk of the kind in my presence. 

Q. Do you know anything of the sale of watches? 

A. I saw a great many of the colored men have these watches 
spoken of. They were a sort of cheap watch ; made of what I call 
white metal, finished up rough. They were not silver; at least, I 
should not think so. Whom they bought them of, oj anything of the 
kind, I do not know. One Frank Ballou, of Cumberland, used to 
furnish what men he brought himself with watches, or as many of 
them as chose to buy. 

Q. Do you know whether Major Engley kept stores near the 
buildino; for watches and clothing ? 

A. I know there was one there, and one Sheldon had charge of 
it. I don't know whether Major Engley owned it or not. These 
were very ignorant men that signed these papers. A great many of 



100 ' REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

them could write ; but they were abovit equally divided between those 
that could and those that signed with their mark. I have seen in 
some instances that one or two would stop and read what they Avere 
signinof. Then I have seen a large squad of thirty-one come in one 
Saturday night, when there M'as some misunderstanding with the 
agent that brought them, in regard to the price they were to receive. 
They all kicked here in a body. They did not understand it, and 
wanted an explanation. I saw them there enlisted, and saw them in 
uniform afterwards. 

Q. Do you know anything about the manner in which the trans- 
portation of these men between here and New York was effected ? 

A. I don't know anything about the transportation between here 
and New York. Major Engley paid the western transportation of 
those that came over the Worcester road. I used to see the ag-ent on 
the Worcester road when he brought the bills to Major Engley, who 
paid them. I don't know whether it was afterwards repaid to him. 

Q. Do you know anything of those transportation tickets '? whether 
Major Engley issued them from here to New York, and who used 
them ? 

A. I think he or his clerk had all the tickets they wanted. 

Q. Something has been said about certain women using these 
tickets. 

A I don't know anything about it. These darkies were getting 
dissatisfied. Every day we could hear more and more. Some people 
around here were pumping them up. I knew there M^ould be an 
after-clap to it. There was a good deal of dissatisfiction among Major 
Engley's western agents. Noted negroes off west would come this 
way. John Jones, Dr. Delaney, a man by the name of Warden, and 
others, respectable and wealthy people, came here and complained of 
the treatment of these men. They had been engaged by Major Eng- 
ley to forward these men. He did not come up to the scratch, and 
they would not go any farther till they had a settlement with him. 

Q. Have you sold any of these bounty vouchers delivered by the 
Provost Marshal? 

A. Yes, sir, quite a number of them. 

Q. Who did you sell them to ? 

A. John N. Francis, J. C. Engley, part of the time ; also to 
John N. Francis' son ; it was all done at 81 Westminster street, 
which is their office jointly — -both names are on the door — J. N. 
Francis and J. C. Engley. 

Q. At what price did you sell them ? 

A. These last ones we got il50 for, but before the Governor 
made this rise in the bounty, and also in the head money, we got $50, 
for the Second Regiment, new companies forming for it, and for old 
regiments already in the field, $60. 

Q. Do you know anything of the recruiting business relations 
between Major Sanford and Major Engley, or have you had any 
business transactions with them ? 

A. Major Sanford had the management of the business, and gave 
orders to Major Engley. They never shared the profits in my 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 101 

presence ; I don't know whether they did elsewhere or not. Major 
Engley did >vhatever Sanford told him to do ; if any parties came 
and made claims for money, Major Sanford would say, " pay it to 
him, Engley." 

Q. Did you ever have any conversation with Major Sanford, 
whether Engley had the exclusive control of recruiting or not ? 

A. No, sir, I never did, but I h?,ve heard others convey it in my 
presence. This Francisco Ballou, of Cumberland, who did a great 
deal of recruiting for the Fourteenth Regiment, had some difficulty 
about money aftairs with Major Engley. He came on from New 
York and asked Major Sanford if he could not put in men, without 
having to go through Major Engley, and Major Sanford says, " I 
have yet to learn that any one can put them in but Major Engley. 

Q. Do you know anything about any bills of the recruiting 
service having been collected twice, once by Major Engley, and once 
by Major Sanford ? 

A. Well, I know this, there was six men that I recruited for the 
light artillery, and I went to collect it and found that it had been 
collected, and Major Sanford's name was signed for the pay. I came 
down to the office and I saw Major Engley making out papers to go 
and collect the same, when they belonged to me. Says I, " that has 
been collected once, and furthermore, these men belong to me." He 
says, " go and collect them if you can." I says, " I will stop you, 
or have it myself." I went to the Quartermaster General and asked 
to look at the books ; the clerk showed me the books, and there it 
was, 6 men, $60. Received Payment, Maj. Sanford. 

Q. Who enlisted these men ? 

A. I enlisted them, and was entitled to the $60 ; I was to have 
the proceeds of the office ; I received no pay from the State or from 
them ; whatever the office got I had, and whatever I could buy of 
the people ; if a man brought me a recruit for any given amount of 
head money, say $2d or $o5, I could buy him for whatever I saw fit. 

Q. Did any difi'erence arise between you and any one in the office 
which Major Sanford endeavored to comjDose ? 

A. It was on this thing I have just spoken of; I said, "lam 
going home to dinner, and if, when I get back, that money is not 
ready for me, by G — d I shall make it so hot you can't stay here ; 
and when I came back the money was ready. Major Engley came 
to me and says, "I will admit I have had more privileges than you 
have," and handed out the money. The money belonged to me, 
and I didn't feel any way beholding to him. 

Q. At any time during the investigation last winter, did any 
person apply to you to get you to witness any papers ? 

A. Yes, sir, they did, I used to march my men up to the Pay- 
master General's office, and he took out a list of names and asked me 
if I recollected those men, and the time they enlisted. I told him I 
believed I did. He says, "were you not there when they signed this 
paper;" I told him I was not, says he, "yes you were," says I, "if I 
know myself I was not." He asked me to witness it once or twice, 
I wouldn't do it. 



102 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. How was the subsistence of these colored men paid ? 

A. As far as I was concerned, I was with one Grabija, afterwards 
a lieutenant in the regiment. He brought the men, and he paid the 
subsistence, or the board, until they got here, and then I marched 
them to a victualing saloon, and paid it myself, and Grabna paid me 
afterwards. Grabna paid me for my services in helping get the men 
through, and I held on to these bills because I thought he would be 
presenting them to the Governor, to get the subsistence of the men, 
as Grabna did not have the fingering of the bounty at that time, and 
only '112 head money. He went further than that ; Grabna Avas 
recalled from recruiting, some way or other, and put into camp, and 
then, after a while, he was taken out of camp and was going to be 
sent to New York to recruit. Major Sanford asked me if I had those 
subsistence bills. He says," let Grabna have them," and I says, "not 
till he pays me;" he says, "you had better split the difference with 
him ;" I says, " any way to get them settled up ;" so Major Engley 
takes and pays me $17 on them and takes the subsistence bills. I 
don't know whether he afterwards accounted with Grabna for it, or 
not, that was as far as I went with him. 

Q. Was any men put into the service, after they were once 
rejected f 

A. It was talked that they were up to the camp, by somebody. 
I don't know whether they were or not. I don't know whether Ma- 
jor Sanford knew anything about it or not. I guess not. Men could 
have been put into the service after they had been rejected. I have 
gone up to the camp and seen papers, quite a pile of them, signed 
with the surgeon's name to them in blank, and it would have been 
quite easy to put men in on them ; the surgeon was Dr. Benoni Car- 
penter. I had two or three sets of them afterwards. I showed them 
to Major Sandford, and he said he would like to have them to show 
to the Governor, 

Q. Did you sell a good many of these certificates or vouchers. 
How many men have you enlisted since jou have been on the recruit- 
ing service ? 

A. Perhaps it might have been from 500 to 1000, I put them in 
for all branches of the service, men would bi'ing a recruit to me, and 
I would do the business for them if I didn't get but two or three dol- 
lars for it. I put in all the substitutes through Captain Hamlin's office, 
except a very few. 

WILLIAM N. BROWN. 



TESTIMONY OF ERASTUS H. COOK. 

AVednesday, Jan. 25th, 1865. 

I reside in Providence, and am in the recruiting business ; have been 
in the recruiting business for the last seven months ; before that, off 
and on for the last two years and a half. 

Q. State what you know in reference to bounty certificates and 
payment of bounties to recruits. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 103 

A. About two months ago I came back from Boston (where I had 
been recruiting for two months) to this place. I was not posted up 
about bounties. I went to Major Engley to. ascertain what head- 
money was; he says, "We are paying |50, $60, $80 and $90." 
Fifty dollars was for the Second Regiment. For any other regiment 
it was $60. For three years $90 for any of the old regiments, and 
$80 for two years service. I put my men in under that arrangement 
for some time, until Lieutenant Occleston came here and opened a 
recruiting office. I put in two or three men for the Fifteenth U. S. 
Infantry, under charge of Lieut. Occleston, for $90. A few days 
afterwards I met Lieut. Occleston. He says : " I think I have got 
into the inside of this arrangement — into the inside of the ring. I 
can pay you $110 ; that is $20 more than the recruiting agents are 
paying." I put in two, and he paid me a $110 apiece for them. The 
next day, he comes to me and says, I have got an order from the 
Governor, stating that he could pay only $90. He had an order 
which he showed me, from the Governor, stating that there should be 
no more head-money paid than $90 at that time. It run along in 
that way for a while, and then I met Major Engley. He says : 

" On next Monday, we shall pay $150 for one or three years 

men." I gave him my vouchers. He also said that the bounty 
would be increased one hundred dollars. Col. Jenckes, a particular 
friend and cousin of mine, is here doing business, and said I would 
like to have your vouchers. I l^t him have them. Major Engley 
said, "Why not let me have your vouchers." I said, " Col. Jenckes 
is a particular friend of mine." The Major says, " If you will let me 
have your vouchers, I will pay your rent," which amounted to $300. 
I did not see fit to let him have them. 1 talked of taking another 
office, which I have, in the City Hall building. I said, " Major, I 
don't know but I shall take two places." I asked him if he would be 
willing to pay my rent. He said, " I will do just as I said, if you will 
bring your vouchers to me." In the first part of this arrangement, I 
saw Mr. Francis. The first recruit I got I carried to Mr. Francis. 
He said, "I will fill out the papers," which he did. I said, ".I will 
take him to Capt. Hamlin." He said, " I had rather you would go 
to Capt. Chadsey." Mr. Francis said, "It is for your interest to get 
the highest premium, and to carry the recruits to Capt. Chadsey." 
There are other parties here that have told me that Major Engley 
was paying their rent. Morse & Wilbur told me so. I met Morse, 
the recruiting officer, one day, and I asked him, " Who cashed your 
vouchers." He said, " Major Engley." I said, " Why not let Col. 
Jenckes have them." He said " I have an interest in letting Major 
Engley have them." Said I, " Does he pay your rent." Said he, 
" I have an interest there." Said I, " He offered to pay mine." 
Said he, " AVell, between you and I, he does pay mine." I don't 
know how much they receive for these vouchers. 

Q. Did they, Engley and Francis, do anything in recruiting these 
men ? 

A. They simply sit there in the office ; receive vouchers and pay 
us the cash. 



104 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. From wliom do you receive your authority to recruit ? 

A. I receive my authority from no one ; I am on my own hooks; 
I furnish my own office. When I started, I asl^ed Governor Smith 
if he would furnish me equipments for an office, viz. : recruiting fur- 
niture and flag, which he refused to do at that time. A short time 
afterwards he let all recruiting officers that wanted them have them. 
I never applied to him afterwards for anything of the kind. It seems 
to me there must be something handsome paid, over what we receive 
on these vouchers, because he Engley was paying a great deal for 
rent. They were doing nothing but cashing these vouchers and 
seemed very anxidVis to get them. There was a gi*eat deal of com- 
petition among different agents — Engley, Staikey, Francis, &c. 

Q. Has there been any new order issued in reference to bounties 
since the first of January ? 

A. The bounty was raised a fortnight ago last Monday, both for 
one or three years, one hundred dollars. It was either a fortnight or 
three weeks : I think it was a fortnight. It was on the second of 
January. The old bounty was I^SOO for three years, but was increased 
to $400 ; and for one year the old bounty was $200, and it was 
raised to $300. 

Q. How many men have you enlisted for the service, and how 
many vouchers have you had ? 

A. I should think we had had about sixty vouchers, I cannot get 
at it exactly. There are a great many substitutes we have put in, 
that we do not get vouchers for ; I have put in about one hundred 
recruits and substitutes together. I think there is more premium 
paid than Ave have received. I have tried to find out where it came 
from, but I could not. 

TESTIMONY OF REV. WILLIAM SHURTLIFF. 

Thursaay, February 2d. 

Question. State whether or not you were present at any time 
while the colored regiment was being recruited in this city, and whe- 
ther you noticed anything in reference to the mode of their giving 
and signing orders for their bounty ? 

A. I was frequently pi'esent, sir, when that regiment Avas raising ; 
often in at the office. I was intimately acquainted Avith the chaplain ; 
frequently called to see him ; passed some time, time after time, in 
that office. I Avas in there on one occasion, when there Avas quite a 
number of colored men of that regiment present, and they Avere sign- 
ing the document ; called to sign it. They Avere called in one by one 
to the table and called upon to Avrite their names. At that time I dis- 
covered that there seemed to be something moving, and feeling some- 
what interested in the matter myself, i. e. in behalf of the regiment, 
it being a colored regiment, I made an enquiry of the chaplain, as to 
what Avas moA'ing. He told me that they Avere signing aAvay their 
bounty. I felt quite an interest in the matter, from the consideration 
that I thought it must be Avrong, and I had considerable talk Avith 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 105 

him there, and more after' we returned from there, with regard to 
what they were sioning. For myself I did not know any anything 
about it except as it was told me. It was not read to them to my 
knowledge. I heard nothing read. I Avas occupying a position with- 
out the enclosure, with them conversing ; and they were called in 
from thence through the gate into where the desk was, and called up- 
on to write their names. 

Q. Did they make any inquiries themselves ? 

A. I have no recollection of any such thing, or of anything being 
told them as to what they were signing. It is so far gone that I 
could not itemize it ; but the things I state are perfectly familiar. I 
thought there Avas something wrong, and was informed by the chap- 
lain that they were signing away their bounty ; and my sympathies 
being somewhat in favor of that race, I probably expressed pretty 
strong feelings. I did make use of such expressions at the time. I 
could not particularize it ; but I told him that it was a shame to use 
colored people in that way — egregiously wrong. He and I were 
conversino; too;ether there and after we got home. 

Q. Do you know anything else about any impositions practiced 
upon them ? 

A. I do not, sir, except from hear-say. At least, that is all that 
occurs to my mind. 

Q. Did you converse with the colored men, and ascertain if they 
knew what they were doing at that time ? 

A. I conversed with them, and my impression is, that, at the time 
I conversed with them, they were not apprised of what they were 
signing — were kept perfectly in the dark. That was my impression 
at that time, so far as I can recollect. 

TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM HILL. 

• Wednesday Feb. 15, 1865. 

I have been connected with recruiting in this State ever since we 
commenced raising men. 

Question. Did you have anything to do with the recruiting of the 
14th regiment ? 

Answer. I did. 

Q. What? 

A. I went out into New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and 
New York State, bringing men here to the 14th regiment. I acted 
under Majors Sanford and Engley. I first made my application to 
the Governor for permission to go there recruiting. The Governor 
not being there at the time. Col. Bailey referred me to Majoi's San- 
ford and Engley. In the first place I agreed with Major Sanford. 

Q. On what terms? 

A. The terms that I started out under at first, were, that I should 
draw an order on the State bounty, if the recruits were willing, not to 
exceed $25. Tbat was the first arrangement I made with Major 
Sanford. I could have that, and $10 head-money, which the State 
then paid. I was to transport those men from there here at my own 

14 



106 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

expense, which I did for a short period of time. I soon found that 
that did not pay. I lost money on the first men I brought here. 
When I got here with my men, Major Sanford was away, and I had 
to do my business with Major Engley, Avho claimed that he was left 
in charge of Major Sanford's business, and in his office while he was 
away, and if I dealt with him it was the same as if I was dealing with 
Major Sanford. He received my men, paid me for the orders, and 
took the orders. 

Q. Then you went into some further arrangement? 

A. Yes, sir ; I then told Major Engley that it did not pay, and 
that I must either have something more to pay me or I must give up 
the business ; I had been losing money on that lot. He said to me 
that I might draw orders as high as ioO, he had got permission from 
the Governor to do so ; I told him then I would try it again ; I did so ; 
I don't think I recruited more than five or six under the first ari^ange- 
ment, and also under the second arrangement. He gave me an order 
for transportation for my men from New York here, so that my 
transportation from there did not cost me anything, either for myself 
or my men. The State bore that, and that gave me a good chance 
to make something ; I did very well, then ; I made off' of the first 
lot of men I brought here, a little over $300 ; these men I brought 
from Harrisburg, Penn., I think that I had six or else seven, and 
one was rejected. I then had a lot of men come from Philadelphia, 
Penn., those men were eight in number. I employed agents there 
to go to recruiting, and I requested them to say to the men that they 
should give me an order for so much money on the State bounty, to 
pay their expenses to this State to enlist. All that would agree to 
that I would bring, and all that would not I would not bring. I left 
my agent with $100 of my money, and then proceeded to Harris- 
burg. While I was there, he telegraphed tliat he had eight men 
for me who would not wait ; he would take them to Providence. He 
came with the men and went to jNIajor Engley's office, and drew the 
orders, this agent drew orders for only <$25, because I had not given 
him permission to draw them above that. Major Engley took charge 
of these men and gave me the orders. The orders which he gave 
Engley in his office, by some means or other, got disposed of, and he 
went to draw some orders for $50 on these men to take it out of their 
bounty ; that was contrary to their agreement, because they only 
agi'eed to have $25 taken out ; I got there three days afterwards, and 
this man that came with the men divided the money with him, with 
the undex'standing that he should have nothing more to do with me 
in any shape or form. When I came on here with some more men, 
I asked him if he Avould settle with me for the other eight ; he said 
he didn't owe me anything ; I said if he could not pay me for those 
men recruited at my expense, I should drop the business then ; we 
had considerable trouble about it ; I left off" bringing men here and 
carried my men to Connecticut. In settling up, he went back and 
charged to me all my transportation which he gave from New York 
here. He had nje in his power, having my money in his possession. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 107 

He took out $90 for my transportation from New York here, and 
through the operation I lost -SoOO, which he wronged me out of; before 
this other committee I showed very distinctly that those orders 
were changed. I proceeded to camp (after finding that those orders 
were changed to $50) and asked the men if they had agreed to give 
an order to Major Engley of $50 of their State bounty ; they said 
they had not ; that they gave an order to the man whom I ordered 
to recruit theni. for $25, and that was from the order of the State 
good up to last April on the entry book for $50. The entry book 
was at the Governor's office, where it was seen ; I undertook to have 
some trouble about it then — could' not do anything, and, finally, 
dropped it for that time. 

Q. Did you recruit any more for that regiment ? 

A. No, sir ; I carried all my men to Connecticut then. 

Q. The men did not appear to knoAv that they had given an order 
for $50 ? 

A. They did not know it. They had given an order for $25, and 
supposed it was no more. When my men came to the office, Major 
Engley would take the orders and call the men in. As they were 
called, they came in, and he Avould ask them if they knew what the 
State bounty of Rhode Island was ; and if they did, he would say, did 
you agree to pay Hill, who paid your transportation here, $25 of your 
State bounty ; if they agreed to it, it was all right, if they did not, I 
must take up with whatever they agreed to give me. 

Q. State what you know about the men signing orders on their 
bounty in his office. 

A. All that ceremony was, that he would call the men up to his 
desk, and say, " Do you know what the bounty of the State of Rhode 
Island is ? " The man would answer " I do not." Major Engley 
would ask, " Can you write ? " The man would reply, '" No, sir." 
Major Engley would say, " Step up here and touch the pen and make 
your mark." The man would step up and make his mark, and he 
would turn to the clerk, who sat beside him, and say, " Please witness 
that." The clerk would Avitness it, and Major Engley would drop it 
in his drawer. No one in the room knew what it contained. I never 
knew untill sometime afterwards. Then I found out that he was draw- 
ing orders on these men, all the way from $50 up to $250, and the 
men never knew anything about it. He never told the men what the 
State bounty was ; if the man did not know, he would say, " Can you 
write ? " The man would answer, " No, sir." He would say, 
"Touch the pen." He would turn round to Mr. Noyes, his clerk, 
and say, " Please Avitness." He would then drop it in his drawer, 
and take another in rotation. I saw it one time Avhen I came on from 
New York — my own men and FrancsicoBallou's thirty-three men, on a 
Monday — those men were taken in that Avay. My men had to un- 
derstand Avhat it was that they Avere doing, and that they were to give 
me so much out of their bounty ; but his men kneAv nothing about it. 
They did not know Avhat the bounty Avas, and Avhat the order Avas ; 
that, excited suspicion between him and me, that he had something 



108 REPORT or THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

which he was engaged in doing, which he considered that I had no 
business to know anything about. 

Q. State what you know as to any of the men being locked up in 
a room. 

A. The men were put in a room near Major Engley's office, which 
they fastened up ; there was a guard placed at each door, and none 
were allowed to go out or come in, only the men that came with them. 
Sometimes the doors were locked — if the guards were going to leave 
the door, they would lock it, and sergeants stood at the door of this 
room that led into Major Engley's department. The agents who 
brought them were in his room ; he would open the door and call off 
the names. The men who brought them had to have a list of the 
names. Major Engley would take the list and call off the names. 
The sergeant would open the door and call for such a one. Major 
Engley would ask him what questions he saw fit. He would ask him 
if he -knew Avhat the State bounty was ; if he did not, and if it was Ma- 
jor Engley's man, Major Engley wouldsay nothing about it. If it was 
my man he called in, and the man said he didn't know what the State 
bountv was, he would tell him, andwouldsay, " Do you agree to give 
Mr. Hill an order for $25, to be taken out of the State bounty, to 
pay your expenses ?" If the man assented, Major Engley would say, 
" Step out here ; can you write ? " "No, sir." " Very well ; make 
your mark," Then he would take the paper and drop it in his drawer, 
after asking the clerk to witness it. If the man would say that he 
did not agree to give me |25, Major Engley would say, " What are 
you going to give Mr. Hill ?" and whatever he agreed, I would have 
to take — all I got on one man was $12, for bringnig him here. When 
his own man came in he would ask him if he knew what the State 
bounty was. "No, sir." "Very well; can you write?" "No, 
sir." " Well, make your mark." Then Major Engley would say to 
Mr. Noyes, " Witness this." That was all that Avas said between 
him and his men. If they did not know what the State bounty was, 
he would not tell them ; if they did, he would let it remain so. 
What these orders were I did not know, until sometime afterwards. 
At the time, I was drawing orders for $50 on the men ; Ballou was 
drawing them for $100, That was the first of my knowledge of there 
being anything more. 

Q. Do you know anything more relating to the purposes of this 
investigation ? 

A. I believe you have most of my testimony taken before the 
other committee. There is nothing further except his trying to cheat 
not only me, but others, out of what belonged to us ; there was one 
Brownli from Orange, New Jersey, who recruited some men ; this 
Brown sued Major Engley last winter, just after this other committee 
got through their investigation. When the case came on for trial. 
Major Engley sued Brown for damages in the sum of $3,000, and 
they settled i't up. Major Engley gave Brown $300 to settle it. 
Brown claims that somewhere about $1000 was due him. Major 
Engley also forbid me recruiting men this side of New Jersey, or in 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 109 

New Jersey. He claimed that he had given the field to another man, 
and that that field was especially assigned to that man to work in and 
to none other, and that Avhat men I brought, I should bring from be- 
yond there. I soon found out that he was not commander-in-ehief of 
everything, and took the liberty to bring my men from there or wher- 
ever else I could get them. He also gave others benefits and privi- 
leo;es in recruitino; that he did not give to me. He would give others 
the privilege of taking out ^100 or iloO, while the highest he ever 
gave me was $50. I have the names of these eight men that the 
orders were drawn on for twenty-five dollars, and the last time 
I saw the men, they knew nothing about there being anything more; 
I told them there were orders for $50, and it was entered on his 
books. On these books, Major Engley tried to deface the order so 
that it could not be distinctly seen, and last April, I undertook to 
have a little trouble about it. I told Mr. H. H. Thomas and Mr. 
Hill, of North Providence, that if they could see his book, it would 
be seen distinctly what the order was on the men ; I wished a settle- 
ment with him. Mr. Thomas and Mr. Hill saw the books. Mr. 
Hill said he Avas satisfied that the order was $30. There are marks 
that can be seen now, but Major Engley has tried to deface it so that 
it cannot be seen. Mr. Thomas said he was satisfied that Major 
Engley owed me an amount of money such as I claimed, and that I 
ought to have it. I went and saw the Governor, but could get no 
assistance from him. He referred me to Major Sanford, and when I 
went to see hini. Major Engley claimed that I had nothing to do with 
the men, and I could get no satisfaction from them. 

Q. Were they connected in busines ? 

A. They were connected in this way : Major Sanford seemed to 
have his say about how things should go. If there was any trouble 
between Major Engley and myself, Major E. would fall back on 
Major Sanford, and leave him to settle the business up. I could get 
no satisfaction from the Governor, any more than to be referred to 
Major Sanford. 

TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM HILL. 

[Examined by Mr.. Thomas.] 

Question. Mr. Bowen alluded to your contract with some parties 
here for you and his enlistino;. I don't remember as vou stated who 
these parties Avere that made this contract, in this city ? 

Answer. With whom ? In the first place — the first day ? 

Q. Yes, sir. 

A. Major — with Major Sanford. 

Q. You did not talk with Major Engley, at all? 

A. I went the first time to the Governor, and the Governor not 
being in, Colonel Bailey requested me to go to Major Sanford. I 
went to Major Sanford, and I made an arrangement with him. 

Q. In that arrangement, were you to deliver the men to Major 
Engley ? 



110 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. I was to deliver the men to him. 

Q. What was the conditions of the bargain at that time ? 

A. The conditions of the bargain wath Major Sanford was thus : 
I w^ent to the Governor to ask how he paid these men. I thought 
that $10 would not pay me for bringing them as far as they brought 
them. Major Engley, meanwhile, had seen me before and I had 
asked him something about recruiting, and he remarked, " Any time 
you want to go, I would like to set you to work." I did not know he 
was in commission at that time. I went, as I supposed, to the fovm- 
tain head, to the Governor, and the Governor not being in. Colonel 
Bailey requested me to go and see Major Sanford. I then pro- 
ceeded to see Major Sanford, as he directed. I told him I had 
understood that they got orders from the men, and that if the 
men signed the orders they should be paid, and he hated to tell me 
that they could ; I told him that I understood that it was so, and he 
said, " if you get the man to give orders, he must be perfectly satisfied 
and perfectly willing to give you whatever you say the order must 
be." I said, " I have understood that you can get them to give 
orders as big as you have a mind to." Said he, " you must not ; 
don't you get an order over twenty-five dollars ;" and then he said, 
" you must go outside of New York and New Jersey;" and he said, 
" you must go to Pennsylvania to work." I went out there as I was 
directed, but not finding any men in Pennsylvania, the first one I 
got was brought from New Jersey. When I returned, Major Engley 
was then in the office at No. 33. 

Q. I thought that was the office of Major Sanford? 

A. Oh, I don't know, Major Engley was in the office. 

Q. Do you mean Westminster street? 

A. Yes, sir; there he was in the first place — 33, I don't know 
but 33 1-2, just the first door this side the Telegraph— he (Engley) 
took them and I enlisted them there myself. 

Q. Did you understand that that was Major Sanford's office ? 

A. Yes, sir ; that was where Colonel Bailey told me to go. 

Q. What month was this ? 

A. It was in the month of 

Q. Was it in October ? 

A. Oh, no, I don't think it was. 

Q. Mr. Bowen, I think, alluded to October as the time when you 
did commence ? 

A. I have expenses down here, September 21st. 

Q. Where expenses began on the men ? 

A. Where the expenses began ? so far back that I could not say 
the exact time. 

Q. Now, what was your bargain ? 

A. That I should bring on the men, and I was not to deduct 
over twenty-five dollars for all expenses. The first men that I brought 
were not willing to have anything deducted. I had got to tell them 
what I wanted taken out, and then, if they were perfectly willing, 
all right. When they came in they asked who brought them. Mr. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. Ill 

Hill. "What bounty did lie tell you the State paid?" "Three 
hundi'ed dollars." "Did you tell him your expenses were to be 
deducted out ?" " Yes, sir." " How much are you willing to have 
deducted out of your expenses?" "Not anything, sir." "Very 
well, that's sufficient." I did not get their order. He said he would 
if I did not, fill out the orders here ; Major turned and said these 
men are not willing to do what you say. What was I to do ; I put 
the men in at ten dollars, just the head money. 

Q. In this bargain with Major Sanford were you to pay him any 
part ? 

A. No, not with Major Sanford then. The first time I came on 
here, I think he was then at Washington. Major Engley paid me 
the ten dollars for the men — I think there were two ; one of them 
did not pass. He did not pay me the two dollars government, he 
only paid the ten dollars. After that Major Engley said, " After this 
all the men you bring that give orders for twenty-five dollars, I will 
get the men through for one-third the orders. There are three of us 
concerned," he said, "and we shall claim head money." He would 
not allow me to have head money, if I took the orders. He was to 
have one-third of the twenty-five dollars, and then he had the head 
money. So you can see where I was coming too. Twelve dollai's 
was the proper head money, and in that case he was getting twelve 
dollars out of me for my transaction. Mr. Bowen said just now that 
he was to have one-third of the net of it. I have it here one-third 
of the gross. 

Q. The difference in that would be when you lost. 

A. Certainly. He never lost anything. That's what I claim. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Did he bear all the expenses back ? 

A. No; Iliad that to bear myself. October 16th I brought 
eighteen men here ; these men he agreed to give me $10 a piece for ; 
that was all he agreed ; but I claimed the head money in addition, 
and I told the Major I must have that head money, and he said you 
can have that and I must have one-third. The men came to $l77, 
and he deducted out -117 — one third, of course. That is not correct ; 
I owed him $17 on the first lot of men. He has made his brags that 
he set me up in business, and Avhen I first brought the men he over- 
paid me -$17, and charged that on his books. He deducts one-third 
of sixty-four, and then seventeen out of that — at all events, it left 
$128 my due, and that is all I got. 

Q. Why did you not carry these men to camp — these first men — 
not finding Major Sanford, or to the Paymaster, and draw the whole 
money ? 

A. In fact, I did not know then that they were enlisting, until 
Bowen and I came in and found that they could get men in, no other 
source. I did not know that there was any other Avay. They told 
me that I could not get an order on the Paymaster cashed unless 
sanctioned by them, and I never did ; never, not until after we got 
other arrangements. We kept this running along, and I got behind 



112 REPORT OF THE FIXANCE COMMITTEE 

hand ; I expected that when I got this $128, I was going to make 
something ; but we found after a Avhile that we were doing a losing 
business. 

Q, Did you make any other bargains? 

A. No, sir. Mr. Bowen went to the Governor and made some 
trouble, and he made an arrangement through Sanford. I wxis not 
here then ; but I made the first arrangement. I learned after that, 
when men came here to see Sanford, he had another office — another 
office in College street. When a man came here to this office, he 
would never be here, and Major Engley Avas a stepping-stone to him. 

Q. Did you know of any arrangement between Engley and San- 
ford, or was it only suspicion ? 

A. I have no means of knowing anything of any arrangement ; 
only I know that when I got into trouble he would refer me to San- 
ford. Sanford never settled any trouble between Engley and me 
becaiase it remains unsettled to-day. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Have you called on Engley for a settle- 
ment since you got back ? 

A. Yes, sir ; there w^ere four of us present. I claim that he owes 
me to-day -$400 for men brought here by me. He says, " You 
bought these men of a man who brought them to us." I refer to a lot 
of eight men. I said, " You could see Col. Viall, and ascertain." 
" I have, sir." I said, " You could see Col. Viall to-day." " I have 
been to see, and referred to Col. Viall, and asked him to ascertain 
their names, and ascertain from those men what orders were to be 
deducted when brought here, and they would tell you $25, and their 
orders, when I saw the books, shew ioO ; they did when I saw the 
books." 

Q. How did you make out $100 ? 

A. I claim the orders ; and he says that these men gave orders 
for $50. He says $50, and I claim it. 

Q. Did you make any contract with these men ? 

A. My agent made the contract for $25. 

Q. And 3^ou claim $50 because the order on the book says $50? 

A. Its all the same ; the bargain he entered into with these men 
brought him, $25 apiece, and he gets $10 head-money beside. I saw 
David H. Turner's partner in the telegraph office Saturday, and I 
asked him to ask Mr. Turner to write me a letter, stating the facts. 
He was in the office at the time, and I asked Mr. Taylor if he remem- 
bered Turner's saying in the office that these men were for me. He 
said, " I remember that he said it several times." He said, to Major 
Engley, "These men were from Hill & Bowen." 

Q. How do you know that Major Engley paid him $25 ? 

A. He says. Turner says so. 

Q. Then why did not Turner pay you? 

A. Because Turner says that Major Engley made him promise to 
bring all the men to him. He went back to New York and told Capt. 
Ballou, what Major Engley said in the office. 

Q. Engley had no other authority to pay him? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 113 

A. If Engley had been an honest man he would not have done so. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. In all your agencies out there, did you have 
to procure any passes, or pay any Provost Marshals ? 

A. We never did. 

Q. By the Chairman. Do you know of any man who has been 
enlisted by you, who was misinformed as to the amount of the State 
bounty, by you or any of your agents, or any other agents. Have 
you any personal knowledge of any such thing? 

, A. I do not know of any man that does not know it. These 
eight men that I spoke of knew that the bounty was ^300, and knew 
there was to be $25 deducted for their expenses ; but they did not 
know that there was to be $25 deducted on top of that. I have been 
in camp with a commissioned officer, and asked, in his presence, of these 
men, how much, on their order, Avas to be taken out of their bounty. 
" Do you know if you signed an order?" They said, " We do." 
I asked what amount it was, and they said, '"825." The whole eight 
said so, and that order was $50, instead of $25. 

Q. Tliev could not read, and therefore they have been defrauded 
out of $25 by ? 

A. By Major Engley. That I know, and I think if you refer to 
the colonel . 

Q. Do you know whether the paymaster paid Major Engley $50 
or $25 on these orders ? 

A. I cannot tell. 

[In answer to Mr. Thomas,] Tells of a book of Major Engley's 
in which he kept an account ; names of men brought, by whom — and 
here the man's name who brought them. These men brought by 
Mr. Hill, and wrote their names down. Then orders, right after the 
$25 orders just put $50 for $25 — $50 right through here. Those 
eight men were put down to Davis G. Turner. I said to the clerk, 
" That order was first made $25." Then I called for the book, and 
he showed it to me. He said those orders were changed to make 
them like the others. I said, " These orders, I thought, were for 
$25;" and he said, "They were altered after they got here, and 
made out." 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Where were the orders ? 

A. I did not bring any orders, and I don't know. Major Engley 
said if I did not bring the orders he would make out the orders here. 
The onl}^ claim he made was, that these men were brought by an- 
other man — Turner brought the men. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Where did you say they came from ? 

A. They came from Salem, N. J. We brought the men from 
New Jersey ; and he said, " You cannot get $25 men from New 
Jersey." 

Q. Still, he took the $25 ? 

A. fie says so, himself I said he paid for these men $25. He 
told me there, in his office, " I paid David G. Turner $25, minus 
transportation from New York here," which was $3. He said he 
paid him $25 apiece, and he said I made out orders for $50, and they 

16 ' 



114 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

signed them, and that paid the other $25 apiece in my pocket ; and 

said he, "you and no other d d man -will get it out." I lost 

the cost of" transportation, and I furnished David G. Turner with 
money to recruit and bring these men on. It was paid by money he 
had of us. He had not the means to carry it on himself. He is a 
colored man, with one eye. 

Q. By the Chairman. It seems that Turner treated you 
shabbily. 

A. Turner would prove true. He was only getting his expenses 
and $3 per man. It was a great temptation for a man to turn round 
and get $25. That was where he was — he was to be benefitted by 
the transaction. I think Mr. Turner would act the part of a man 
and tell me whether he paid him or not. Major Engley says he did, 
and he knew that he was my agent. He makes that a plea. That 
would be policy for him. The men that work for him, in the office, 
will always run in the same channel. These men will not come up 
and swear that he said so in the office. I think Turner would be 
more of a man. I think he would. He told Capt. Ballon, when he 
came to New York that these men Avere for me, and he told Ballou 
that Engley offei-ed him $25. 

TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM G. WARMSLEY. 

February l^t, 1865. 

I reside in Providence. 

Q. Do you know anything about the mode of giving orders, by 
these colored men ? how they signed them ? whether they knew 
what they contained, &c.? 

A. I am not prepared to state in relation to that fact, although I 
saw them sign some orders, but whether they did or did not know 
actually what thej^ was signing. I could not say fully. 

Q. Were they read to them before they signed them ? 

A. Sometimes they were, and sometimes they Avere not. I think 
the general rule was, however, to read them, although, in some cases 
they were not read. 

Q. Do you know whether there was any dissatisfaction among 
the men, on account of they not getting as much as they expected ? 

A. There was some cases where they claimed they were not get- 
ting what they understood they were to have. The consequence of 
it was, that in my knowledge they did in some cases refuse to sign, 
probably there would be some compromise about it, and afterwards 
they would sign. 

Q. Do you know anything about some of the men being fastened 
up in a ]-oom, or anything of that kind ? 

A. Not particularly so, it was the custom generally when recruits 
were brought in, to be placed in a room ; it was the custom of the 
surgeons when they came in with the men at night, to measure the 
height of the men and place them in this room. They were under 
the charge of the sergeants, so, of course, they were under their pro- 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. * 115 

tection, whenever they AA-ent out, they locked the door so the recruits 
could not get out. In the mornino; Mr. Noyes would call for them 
and they would come out. The Doctor would examine them first 
inside. The first step taken when they lirst came in, was to measure 
them ; then they Avere turned in this room, and kept there until morn- 
ing. Those who passed Avould come out and sign, and return back 
again until they Avere sworn ; sometimes they would sign and be 
sworn afterwards. Sometimes Mr. Noyes Avas so situated that he 
could not leave the bank, and then they Avere taken into his office by 
these agents. It is the father of this Mr. John Noyes, he SAvore 
them in. Sometimes they would be taken there and be sworn in, 
and then come back and be assigned, and taken in charge by the 
sergeants and put into the depot. I Avas not very conversant Avith 
the transactions. 

Q. Do you know anything about any Avatches sold to them? 

A. I do not know much, for IneA'ersaAv a man go in there to buy 
a Avatch, and I neA-er took anybody in there. 

Q. What was your business ? 

A. I had an order to assist in getting up the men ; I am not cer- 
tain Avhether I received those orders from Mr. Luke S. Chace, or 
from jNIr. Noyes, it Avas a A'ery late day Avhen I commenced. We 
did not get any recruits until about January, that I had anything to 
do with whatever. 

TESTIMONY OF REV. JOHN A. PERRY. 

January 30, 1865. 

Q. Were you connected, in any Avay, with the i*ecruiting service 
in the State, at the time of the recruiting of the Fourteenth regiment ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In Avhat Avay ? 

A. I Avas detailed, by special order of the War Department, to 
Rhode Island, in 1862. I was, at the time, serving in the army as 
chaplain of the First Regiment R. I. L. A. — was specially detailed 
to recruit in Rhode Island. I Avent out as first lieutenant, after 
having raised a majority of the battery. I served in that capacity till 
I resigned ; I think in October about one year ago. I was recruiting 
at the time of raising that regiment, for the artillery. We were re- 
cruiting then on Westminster street. We had formerly been in the 
office the former Avitness referred to, Col. Tompkins. I did not know 
that he recei\"ed any head-money. I was astonished at that. I did 
not knoAv that he had any head-money. I always understood that a 
United States officer had no business Avith head-money. I never was 
allowed it Avith those I recruited. At the commencement of this 
regiment, I had, unfortunately, a good deal of feeling and interest to 
get it started, having been the accredited messenger to get it from the 
President during Gov. Sprague's administration. When I learned 
that Gov. Smith had authority to raise the regiment, I naturally 
wanted to see it go on. I called upon the Governor, and asked him 



116 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

why we could not put forth the proper means to produce the end. 
He said that Dr. Hehiie had hold of it and did not succeed, and in a 
few days he tliought he should put it into other hands. We had in 
our office a runner, F. A. O. Grabner, formerly captain in a New 
York regiment. He enlisted with us, and was a very good runner. 
I proposed to him to go out to New York, and get some colored men 
to fill up the company Dr. Helme Avas on. Major Sanford, who was 
my sui)erior officer, and was detailed on recruiting service, consented 
to the proposition. Grabner went on to New York, and telegraphed 
to Major Sanford that he wanted 850 ; he had got a large lot of men, 
and would bring on twenty or thirty colored men. I sent the money 
to Grabner, by request of Major Sanford. He did not want to have 
anvthing to do with the money, but would see me paid. I forwarded 
the money to Grabner, who brought on thirty recruits ; got ten dol- 
lars a head paid him ; paid me the money I advanced, and all was 
satisfactory. I felt pleased at the progress he had made. He went 
again ; was successful, and I guess I furnished him more money in 
the same way. He paid me again ; but I have received no pay for 
the use of the money, nor asked any. I guess another gentleman 
went to New Bedford. I lent him money. He was unsuccessful. 
He never thought he was able to pay, and I never asked him. I lost 
that. Then Major Engley : he had formerly worked for us recruit- 
ins:. He was a very successful recruiting agent, and I proposed to 
him to go into this business of raising this regiment. He consented, 
on condition that I would go in with him. I could not do that, in 
my present position, but he insisted on my going in Avith him, and 
taking hold with him. He would take the majority, and I was to 
take some office over that, if it would be granted, and we would raise 
the regiment — put out the money, and raise the regiment. He was 
to be major and I was to be lieutenant colonel. 1 told him I did not 
see that clearly, but I would take hold of the matter and help raise 
the regiment. " Then," he says, " the first thing we want to do is 
to put Major Sanford all right." He Avas the State agent that had 
control of all this matter, and he proposed that Ave give Major San- 
ford a thousand dollars to make the thing right, and to give us the 
road — a clear thing, exclusive of all other agents. It looked to me a 
bribe. I rejected it on the spot. From that time I have had nothing 
to do with the thing. Major Engley Avent on recruiting ; Grabner 
Avas ordered into camp in Providence ; Dr. Helme Avas got rid of. 
Every man in the Avay of Major Engley Avas got rid of, and Major 
Engley had a clear field, — so much so that there Avas a good deal of 
dissatisfi\ction in our office, and things looked rather bad. I said to 
Major Sanford, my superior officer, that I thought his course Avas 
vacillating, and that it \A'as injurious to the service, and decidedly 
wrong to the recruiting agents. My reason for saying this to him, 
was that either Grabner, or some other one of the successful recruit- 
ing agents, Avanted to know of Majoi* Sanford, if he (the agent) could 
recruit Avithout bringing his men through Major Engley ; and then 
Major Sanford says : " I have yet to learn that any man can recruit 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 117 

for that regiment without bringing the men through Major Engley." 
And William Brown was present when he made the statement. He 
got very indignant because I accused him of vacillation, and reminded 
me that he was my superior officer, and was responsible for what was 
done in the office, and wanted I should attend to my business ; and I 
did. Things went on in that way, and there was a good deal of com- 
plaint made among the colored men. It appeared that the runners 
working for Major Engley, lied at that end, and the recruit was 
cheated of his money at this end. It appeared to me cheating was in 
every phase of it. 

Q. In what Avay did they give orders, and under Avhat circum- 
stances ? 

A. The men seemed to be perfectly ignorant of what they were 
doing ; they had an idea that they were going to make a great deal 
from the State, and the United States bounty in addition. I disabused 
them whenever I spoke of it. The orders would be written out by 
Major Engley. The men would be marched up one at a time to sign 
them ; they Avere not read to them ; they did not know what they 
were signing ; they would sign the order and march back again ; the 
recruit was i\sked if he could write ; if he said he could not, Major 
Engley wrote his name for him, and he put the cross to it ; the next 
one would say he could write ; he wrote his name and would ask no 
questions, but go back with the crowd. At one time the Rev. Wil- 
liam Shurtliff, of this city, came in there ; he was in frequently, 
and at one time, when a party of colored men were signing away 
their bounty ; he had a great deal of interest in colored men, and 
remarked to me that it was a burning shame that they should sign in 
that way; that they did not know what they were doing ; they were 
signing away their money. I told him that Major San ford had 
reminded me that he was my superior officer, and it was none of my 
business ; that I was a light artillery man, and that I ought to attend 
to that. This was done in my jiresence— -this signing of the orders. 
I saw them sign repeatedly, without their knowing what they were 
doing; some knew what they were doing, and got their just dues; 
others did not ; some were dissatisfied with the nature of the order. 
There were some words passed between them and Major Engley, on 
the agreement ; they denying that they had made any such agreement 
as the runner said who brought them ; did not like to enter into any 
such agreement, was dissatisfied with it ; but finally they would suc- 
cumb and sign the order. 

Q. If any one who was marched up to sign the order demurred, 
what was done with him ? 

A. He was passed back again until they got through Avith all that 
were ready and willing. Then he was taken in afterwards and brought 
into the traces, either by making a new arrangement, or by making 
him sign that one. 

Q. Was this a general practice throughout the entire enlisting of 
this force ? 

A. I left before the regiment was completed. I was evidently in 



118 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

the way, and Major Sanforcl reminded me that I had better resign, 
and I accepted the suiTgestion and did resign. I got out of the way. 
Afterwards tliey moved from that office. Wilhaui Brown was pres- 
ent at a good deal of this. I went over to the street opposite the 
Post Office. 1 was in there afterwards, and saw Major Engley who 
had bargained for a house I was buikhng — the lease of it. He now 
holds a lease of it. I was in to see him on business, and the same 
thing was going on there. They were brought out of an adjoining 
room, if they could write they would sign, if not his clerk Avould sign 
for them. The same thing as before was going on then. I went into 
the room where the colored men Avere, and talked with them in regard 
to what their prospects were, and what they expected to get. I found 
they were just as ignorant as the others on this part of it. 

Q. Have you anything to do with the recruiting service recently? 

A. Last Spring I left the recruiting service, and am on a little 
farm out in the country, carrying it on quietly. After I resigned, 
the Governor wished me to go recruiting for the State — did not wish 
to lose my services, as he said ; and I made an arrangement with 
Major Sanford, to whom the Governor referred the whole matter ; I 
said I would recruit for $100 a month and reasonable expenses ; I 
was to set as many to "work as I could, and each runner was to have 
$25 for green recruits, and #35 for veterans, and that is all they got ; 
and for those that were put in the cavalry and artillery. I worked 
two months ; they paid me $200, and never paid any expenses. 
Then I evidently was not wanted any longer. That was last Spring, 
or in the early part of last year. 

TESTIMONY OF CAPT. F. M. BALLOTJ. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Question. Where do you reside ? 

Answer. In Cumberland. 

Q. Do you hold any commission at the present time fi*om the Gov- 
ernor of this State ? 

A. I suppose I do. 

Q. What is it ? 

A. Captain. 

Q. HoAv long have you held it ? 

A. Well about Thanksgiving this was made out — they sent it to 
me. 

Q. What regiment? 

A. The Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. 

Q. You have been active in recruiting for this regiment, haven't 
you? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I wish, Capt. Ballou, that you would state what you liave 
done. Take your own way of stating it, begin at the beginning and 
state carefully. 

A. Do you want to know how I commenced first ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 119 

Q. Yes, sir, from thebegining. 

A. 1 had just got discharged from the 12th Rhode Island, when I 
began with Dr. Hehne. He said they iiad got about a hundred men 
in the company, and were not hkely to fill it lap, and wished they 
could get some more. I thought I could get some. I thought in 
New York, and if not there, ill Kentucky — I felt that I could, and I 
asked him if they would pay expenses. I told him, if he thought 
we could get paid by the men out of their bounty, it would be some- 
thing like — that they would be willing to pay the whole of their boun- 
ty down in Kentucky to get away. He said, he would see. I said, 
I would furnish all my own money, and I told him I wasn't going to 
make anything out of it. 

Q. Who Avas to pay you ? 

A. When I started, he had made an arrangement with the Gov- 
ernor, that I should have pay out of their bounty. 

Q. Did you see the Governor yourself? 

A. I did not ; he was recruiting officer for the company ; I Avent 
as far as New York, and I found a great many that Avanted to enlist, 
and I stopped ; and I found there a man by the name of Grabner, 
Avho had just started, and he said he A\^as enlisting so as to get a com- 
mission ; he enlisted privates in one of Major Sanford's batteries — in 
that regiment of batteries. He told me that if Major Sanford en- 
listed enough he Avould give him a commission. I went right to 
work — got into a good position ; I found men pretty plenty, and I 

fetched on a good many ; very soon after Major , Avhen he 

came, hired a team and Avent round and saAv the editor of the Anglo 
African, and other colored men of note. 

Q. How did you get these men ? 

A. I got out hand bills, saying that the bounty Avas so much. 

Q. How much ? 

A. $300—125 down— 150 when mustered in, and $225 Avhen 
they got away. I distributed the hand bills pretty Avell, 

Q. HoAv much did these men pay you out of their bounty? 

A. They never paid any thing ; I had some tickets furnished by 
the Quartermaster. 

Q. Where did you get these tickets ? 

A. Dr. Helme got them from the Quartermaster; he gave us, I 
guess, seventy-five ; I just filled them out, " pass one recruit from 
New York to Providence," and they received them ; I think Ave used 
some sixty of them, and they Avere increasing so fast that the con- 
ductor said he could not take any more of these tickets ; he said they 
Avere not good. I enquired of Dr. Helme, and he said the Paymaster 
said he calculated they Avould be used in the State ; said I, '• that 
makes quite a difference Avhether all the fares are paid, and we get 
ten dollars or Avhether Ave pay them all." He said he Avould go to 
see the Governor, and he told him there was no transportation fur- 
nished, and there could be none; and he said, " seeing you have 
begun, you had better go back and finish up this company." I went 
back and found Engley had gone round and told these men that he 



120 ^ REPOKT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

would pay them ; he was the only one that had authority, and could 
afford to' o-ive more than we did ; he said, he had transportation. 
When we came on (I think Friday night, and got here Saturday 
morning) Major Engley said I had better not go back until Monday 
nicht ; 1 found another man to go ahead and go on immediately; 
this man told them all what Engley had said, and I told him I would 
pay as much as any man, and told them they had better keep along ; 
they said they would ; I had always acted square with them. I came 
back on Tuesday, and Major Engley was there on the boat ; and he 
asked me if I was going to have any men, and I told him I thought 
I should ; said he, " I expect some bye and bye;" a squad came on 
board ; I asked him if he had got a list of those men ; he said he 
would let me have one. " Any of these men for me ?" said he ; " no, 
said the Lieutenant. They keiit coming, squad after squad, and I 
believe I had fifty and he had seventeen. Said I, '' it don't look 
much to-night, as if you were going to have all the men, I tell you 
what it is." He denied that he had said it. He said, " we can work 
better tocrether than we can separate ; I don't want to work here ; 
I'd rather work at home." Said he, "I will give more for these men 
than you are getting." Said he •' I will give you 87 and pay all 
expenses." Suppers were forty cents. We got breakfast here. All 
I could make was four or five dollars, and 1 had not got to advance 
anything. He said, he could get men passed and I could not. 

'Q. The men, these men, were not paying anything from their 
bounty ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. How was he going to do it ? 

A. He said he would give me $1, and Sanford would furnish 
transportation, and he had $2 a head, government pay, and that made 
85 apiece. I came on and said to Dr. Helme, Engley says his trans- 
portation is furnished, and I said, '• You had better go and see the 
Governor arrain." The Governor told him he must be mistaken. I 
sold him the men, I guess, two or three lots. 

Q. How many men did you sell at $1. 

A. I think forty-seven. I brought on some forty odd that night. 
After they were fetched for Engley, a good many were rejected. The 
doctor, I remember, threw out one man because he laughed. 

Q. He afterwards passed for Engley ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How much did Engley get ? 

A He was entitled to $13 apiece, — 12 apiece from U. S. govern- 
ment, and the Governor said he would give fl apiece. 

Q. You don't know whether the men paid anything ? 

A. I don't think they did. There was no orders drawn at that 
time — I had not. He says we did not begin right. Then I went 
into company with him, and he said he would take care of this end 
and divide the expenses and divide the profits. He would give his 
attention to the business here, and there I was to attend to it, and 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 121 

have half of all the profits, and we went into it. I don't think he 
ever furnished me with money. He always had my money in 
his hand. 

Q. He never advanced you any amount? 

A. No, sir ; I think not ; unless sometimes when we settled, we 
might have settled up nearly square. I thiid\, on the 10th of Sep- 
tember, I hired an office in New York, 1G7 Washington street, and 
attended to the business at that end, expecting it would be all square 
at this end. We went along, and I sent men and drew money, and 
kept trying to get a settlement, and to know if the men had passed. 
I thought perhaps we could not tell, in time, which was my men. I 
guess it went along for six weeks before I got a settlement, and then 
I got some seven hundred. When I came to get a settlement, I did 
not get the money at the time, and I Avas going back Sunday night ; 
and he says, "• You shall have it, but I cannot get it to-night ; to- 
morrow I will get it and send it to you." Tuesday I received a let- 
ter, containing $300 and statement, " I am obliged to leave for the 
west ; writd to Mr. Noyes." I came on that night, and went to Mr. 
Noyes and told him I wanted to see that account. From that letter 
I found but little due me — it did not amount to much — that I had 
drawn several times on him, and so when I came to see Mr. Noyes, I 
told him I w'anted to see that account. When I came to see it, I 
think every other man, and sometimes half-a-dozen together, was 
marked " rejected," or " suspended," or '• not found any-such man." 
Said I, " This is a kind of curious account." I went, in the first place, 
to see for myself. I went up to the adjutant's books at camp, and I 
found almost every man, just the time and date, just as he came. 
Once in a Avhile there was a little difference in a letter. Like enough 
I would not get the middle name in, I came down and told Major 
Sanford, and told him how I was fixed. Said I, " I have been trying 
to get a settlement for all these, and he has cheated me in this way ; but 
he would not succeed. Sanford thought it was not Engley's fault. I 
asked Noyes, and Noyes said some of these men went into camp, and 
he did not know it — he guessed Major Engley did not. We made 
off twenty or thirty. I told him (Sanford) what I had found. Well, 
you let it be till Major Engley gets back. If you want any money, 
I can let you have it. I think he gave me a check, or told Noyes to 
draw a check, which he did, and signed Engley's name. 

Q. Sanford told him to draw a check? 

A. I do not kiiow as he told him to draw a check. He told him 
to give me the money. 

Q. How came Sanford to order the payment of this money ? Do 
you understand ? 

A. When I went in with Engley, I heard he would bear watch- 
ing, and so I would put the name and date on mine, for all the men I 
sent on, so that I could know just where I stood, and I took pains if 
the men were sent back to know it and put a mark against it, 
" rejected," so I would know how it was. Then I saw him in San- 
ford's office, and Sanford said, " If you go in with Engley, whatever 

16 



122 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

he tells you shall he carried out ; I will make it good." He said, it 
" should be so — I would have it so," aud that is how I came to go 
with Engley ; and when I found this account in such a shape, that is 
how I came to go to Sanford, and he said, it should be straitened. 
When Engley came in, they compared the account and could not 
straiten it up. There were some twenty that he could not straiten. 
I went to the camp and straitened it myself. He sent a man up with 
me, and we found them all there. He said, he did not collect under 
the first lot. He said, in the first place, all he wanted was to get a 
good lot of names, so as to get a commission. My papers were all 
there, and he pretended that he never collected some twelve or fif- 
teen. I stayed over one trip to New York, and worked pretty much 
all the time trying to straiten this, and at last settled. I did not see 
any other way. He claimed that I had agreed that he should have 
the benefit of all the doubts. I saw that I had got to prove that every 
man's name was there. So we jumped that account, and he gave me 
so much, and we settled ; he said then, he would put down right down 
every man that came — that I sent. He said, he had a clerk and 
could keep it all strait. I told him I wanted to settle often,* and he 
told me I might settle as often as I pleased, and I used to come on 
once a week or fortnight ; I came on every few dajs. All this time 
we had taken only head money ; but we began soon after to draw or- 
ders for $5, or $10. 

Q. Did you draw orders for 15 ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Orders for $10 ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How many orders were there ? 

A. There may have been fifty. There may have been seventy- 
five for five or ten dollars — they may have been altered. I never 
received any more on these. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did you Avrite an order, and was it not 
signed by the men ? 

A. It Avas most always drawn by me. 

Q. These five and ten dollar orders — Avere they drawn by you ? 

A. Yes, sir, most of them, — saying we agree to pay F. M. Bal- 
lon and J. C. Engley, five dollars bounty towards- paying our expenses, 
or something to that effect. At that time I would give a man five 
dollars to fetch any man from outside, and this would just about cover 
their expenses — just about make us whole. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. At that time were you dividing a part of 
this profit with Engley? 

A. Yes, sir, he had half. All the fault I found at that, — he 
would send men back to some place where I was at work to get men, 
and would advance twenty-five dollars bounty, and tell them to go 
back and get men and fetch them to him, and not fetch them to me. 
They would go to him and he would have the whole, and I did not 
have any, and I found he was working so everywhere. 

Q. You understood that this was bounty and not his own money? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 123 

A, I never knew him to do any other wav. They used to say, 
"I would h'ke to recruit," and he would say to them, " if you want to 
go back and recruit, I will give you twenty-five dollars of your bounty." 
He told me so. That's what I Avould like to know, if any of these men 
did run away he had got to lose it. I understood that he never re- 
funded that. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did they wear the uniform of the regi- 
ment when they went back ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. These men that he sent off recruiting, — the twenty-five 
dollars payment on their bounty was got and put into Engley's hands? 

A. We took an order and would give them twenty-five dollars. 
They would say, " received of J. C. Engley, $25 of my State bounty," 
and he would carry these orders to the Paymaster, and they were 
cashed. 

Q. It was not his own money ? 

A. No, that wasn't his own money. Sometimes they would keep 
in camp a week or a fortnight before they would go ofi'; and I have 
known men to come on this morning and go back at night — just 
report there, enough to know that they had been there. 

Q. How could they go ? 

A. Major Sanford's order was respected. He would send up an 
order requiring such a man on the recruiting service, and they would 
give him a furlough, whoever he asked for. 

Q. Do you know if Engley's order was respected? 

A. The Colonel told me that he respected Engley's order. They 
promised me any man I wanted, and I never got one except on the 
orders of Sanford or Engley, and they said, '• we have got to respect 
their orders." I came on here to notify them that I would not work 
any more in that way, when I found he was playing it so hard. I 
did not really believe he woukl play it so hard; until I saw some 
letters from him to men which told them not to come near me, and 
that I was not with him. I went on to New York, and when I came 
back, I told him, "you are making money out of these men, and I am 
not receiving one cent on the men that come here." At one time he 
sent for me (on the 12th of December, I think) to go to Major San- 
ford's in private — I went — Colonel Bailey was there, (the Governor's 
aid,) Sanford and Engley were there. They asked me to take a chair ; 
Major Sanford wanted to know what the trouble was ; I told him I 
was having to divide without any returns, and not only without get- 
ting any assistance, but was running a hard opposition, I thought ; I 
remarked, I think, that if he knew I was at work in Washington, he 
would send a man there ; if I was getting men in Baltimore he would 
send a man there^— some one to work against me. Said I, " he knows 
just where I am at work." Said he, " I thought I had done the fair 
thing, Ballou. When I went to New York, I gave you the whole 
field." I said, " I had just done New York, and since that you have 
not given me any benefit." Said he, " I'll tell you where the trouble 
is, we have not drawn orders large enough on the men." "For God's 



124 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

sake," said I, " how long do you want to draw them ?" " Ever since," I 
said," we settled before we have made a hundred dollars a da^^ apiece 
and colored men little enough," — so did Sanford and Bailey. Said 
Sanford, " we cannot afford to lose you, cannot we make some other 
arrangement?" Said I, " I am going to work for Connecticut — they 
offered me larger pay and a Major's commission." He said, "I am 
going ahead ;" and said he, " you must keep along ;" said he, " I 
would give you authority to recruit the same as Engley. but it Avould 
confuse the thing; suppose you go to work," said he, "putting the 
men in for what you think is fair ;" said about one-third for the 
orders. Said I, " I cannot tell what one-third of the profits would 
be." Said he, " give me so much a man." "How much ?" said I. 
" Twenty-five dollars a man," he said. When we first went to New 
York we got $10, and thought that was doing pretty well. When 
we got $10 at New York, we fetched the men on and all the rest was 
ours. If I took them to Connecticut, all I had to do was to fetch 
the men, — just make out the papers, — what every State does for 
nothing, — what was done at camp ; they were not satisfied to let a 
man come there and make out the papers ; they did it for him, and 
never charged anything. This is what they do in Connecticut. The 
Paymaster would ask the men if the order was right, and if they 
said yes, they paid it. At last, he decided to piit them in, and I 
might try it for $15 ; they thought it was not enough : they should 
hold themselves so as to ask more, and they stated if I thought best, 
I could do as I wished. In the first lot, thirteen passed, and at $15 
each, made $195 — one man could do all the work. The next lot, I 
think, twenty-six passed ; I paid $15 apiece, that took all from the 
State bounty. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Now, let's see in what way you paid this? 

A. He took and paid him my orders and I drew orders on the men 
for $100. He paid me $97, and took the recruiting fee of the State, 
$10, and the United States fee, $2, and there were $3 from the order 
that I drew on the men. If the orders, five orders, amounted to $500, 
it took out $15. I told him then I should go to Avork for Connecti- 
cut. Major Sanford said I should not. I had got a Rhode Island 
commission, and I should not work there, and he came down with a 
pretty hard blow, at first, but we did not have any hard words then. 
He went out and came back, and slapped his hands together, and 
said it was going to be one thing or the other. " I want you," said 
he, to "work for Rhode Island." I said, " I shan't." " You have got 
a commission from Rhode Island," said he. " You can take it off as 
quick as you please." " I shall go to the Governor," said he. Said 
I, " You can ; its sewed on. its not nailed on." Said he, " You have 
been enlisting men under false pretences." Said I, " I enlisted men 
with the understanding that they should go to Rhode Island. Sup- 
pose I enlisted men who had a mind to go to Rhode Island, for $300, 
and one should come to my office and he had rather go to Connecti- 
cut for $400, $310 cash,'' said I, " That man concludes to go, and 
that is what they do get; is that any false pretence ? " Said he, 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 125 

"You cannot do that." Quite a number came into the office at that 
time. I do not know as he frightened me. He went outside, and 
returned. Said he, " You have got a good many men, and I have 
vouched for the Governor." " Now," said he, "' go on." Said I, " I 
cannot do ic. I have agreed to fill one town in Connecticut." Said 
he, " Fill that town, and if you want to go to work for Connecticut, 
I will give you just as good a recommend as you want ; but if you go 
there, don't go there as a Rhode Island officer ; take off your uni- 
form." "I will," said I, "for I have my own notion about that." 
Said he, " You know how I am standing here, and I am sending out 
agents, and a good many of them have said they Avould not send a 
man to Engley." "There's Hill and Bowen," he said, "I don't care 
a damn for them ; but I would like to have you stick." I tliink I sent 
in three men by a man by the name of Wilson. They were left 
at Engley's. They came from Washington ; and said all their friends 
were here, and they wanted to go with them. They went to Eng- 
ley's — came to his office — that's all he knows. I never got a cent, 
although he received an order for $300. Whether he got the money 
or not, I do not know. I came on, as I thought he owed me $1000, 
for ten men. He said he did not owe me but for two men. I asked 
him " How he made that out." He said " That six men ought to have 
been his, as his agents sold them to one of my men. " I " said he, " let 
him have the money to recruit, and instead of giving them to me, he 
fetched them to one of your men and sold them, and came here and 
got the pay." Said I, "It has always been a rule with you, and you 
made it yourself, that the man who fetched the men here, was the 
one to look to, and the man fetched it to me and took it." I went to 
the Governor about it, and he would not consider it. He referred 
me to Sanford. He said he didn't wan't Engley to feel hard towards 
him ; he did not like to decide the matter, and I went to the Gov- 
ernor ao;ain. The Governor asked me how it was that I had six 
men recruited by his agents. I had paid the money for them. The 
other men I got, he had stated to me that four men were suspended, 
and I wanted him to pay for them. He did not want to pay for them, 
and had said he would not pay for them. He said his clerk would 
swear that he was right. I said, if four men were suspended after 
they were passed, I wanted the money for them. He sent for his 
clerk, and his clerk said I said right. The Governor said, "Let the 
captain put his own meaning to the words." Engley said, "If the 
Governor said he ought to, he should," and he sent for Major Sanford, 
and let him say how we should settle. He said we had better divide. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. How much were these men apiece ? 

A. $100, — eight men. He paid me $400. That was a very 
common way to settle, to split the difference, and divide. I told him 
that whatever he said I should have to do. 

Q, Had he expended anything for these men ? 

A. He says he had. The man tells me who fetched them that he 
never received a cent. I told him I could prove that I sent the trans- 
portation for these men ; telegraphed that they were waiting ; and I 



126 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

paid for getting a man rejected ont of the lot. I sent eleven tickets, 
and we had six men pass, and these men that came down with them, 
(and were suspended) and we took one back. So that there was ten 
men. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. In what way could he have spent the 
money ? 

A. If he had an agent up there, sent out to recruit, wlio j^icked up 
these men, and then came down and sold them to me . 

Q. That was a breach of faith between his agent and Engley ? 

A. I don't know anything about it ; Angell was on when I came 
in ; he knew it ; I did not, I never knew anything about it; ail the 
proof was that Sisson Avrote to Levander, I think it was, had sent so 
many men, and afterwards got Sisson to say that Levander got to 
New York and turned them over to me. He told the Governor that 
he could prove that he spent the money. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Were not you bringing men for fifteen 
dollars ? 

A. No, this was towards the last. Said Hill and Bowen were 
the men who fetched the men and got the money. They told me 
that if I fetched transportation, I should have a dollar for subsistence. 
When I came down, the Governor decided not to furnish me 
transportation, on the men who had drawn orders. '' Well," said I, 
" that is right." " But," said Engley, " we have got to refund." I 
thought that was rather hard. " I have got to refund," said he, and 
we took out three hundred dollars. I think afterwards the Governor 
said he covild not furnish the one dollar subsistence. Then we took 
out '$250 for two hundred and fifty men. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Now, if these men refunded for transpor- 
tation, how was the State paid ? Had you had any tickets ? 

A. We had an order when we worked in company Avith Engley, 
we had a standing order ; I never saw the order. I had an order 
and went there and told Edwards to give me ten tickets, and he gave 
me ten tickets and I signed a receipt, " Received of Mr. Edwards, 
ten tickets to Providence." 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Do you know what kind of an order Ed- 
wards had ? 

A. No, I do not. I told you once, that we had paid for tickets, 
and that he used these tickets of the Quartermaster General's. Ma- 
jor Sanford, says, he gave Dr. Helme an order for one hundred tick- 
ets. Sometime after, he found out that Sanford was furnishing trans- 
portation ; he gave Dr. Helme an order for one hundred tickets to cov- 
er the men we had brought, and took up these old tickets we had used, 
which he said, was'nt so ; but I never got back the money I paid 
out. Afterwards, I bought tickets direct, after I found that the State 
was not going to furnish transportation. I did not use State trans- 
portation except at this end, there I could get back a dollar cheaper 
by getting an order of Engley. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You have not any knowledge of your own 
that the Governor furnished it, or that the Governor stopped it? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 127 

A. The Governor said we should be furnished. Engley, said the 
Governor has promised $1 for subsistence, and the Governor said I 
cannot furnish transportation beyond New York. He says -you must 
make the men furnish it. Then I stated that he paid Engley one 
dollar for feeding the men, and generally with something to drink and 
cigars. Engley says, that is the first. He (the Governor) wanted 
me to keep along. I never had asked him for a commission — asked 
if I would like to get one, and I told him I would. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You don't know from the Governor or any 
other authority that this transportation was ever refunded to the 
State ? 

A, No, sir ; at the time I left he had never settled for transporta- 
tion with Edwards at the other end. He sent on for it several times, 
and once he (Engley) refused to settle on the ground that he had 
furnished transportation for a less amount to other men. When I 
came to ask Sanford if he did not know anything about it, Engley 
spoke up and said, " I shall have to settle with Nickerson." He 
came to me, and I told him, that the captain had had his for less money. 
He said to me, " I understood from you that it was so. How was it 
better — I stated to yon that on the last transportation you charged for 
six more men than I paid tickets, and I did not have to pay for myself." 
If I came through myself, he always gave me a pass through. That's 
all the benefit I got — that's the way I understood it. Whether he ever 
settled or not, that's all I know. He stated that he owed for seven- 
teen hundred tickets. 

Q. That is more than one regiment ? 

A. I Avill not swear that he said seventeen hundred tickets ; it 
appears to me that he said something near that. 

Q. Do you know Mr. Nickerson's first name ? 

A. I do not. I never had any dealings with Nickerson. I have 
with Edwards — a great deal. I furnishing tickets at that end to all 
the men. I have heard of five men who came through with one 
recruit. 

Q. If the State furnished transportation, it would make the recruits 
transportation come pretty high ? 

A. There were a great many that were not favored in this way; 
they paid their fare. But we were furnished with State transporta- 
tion, and they say they paid Engley at this end. Messrs. Hill and 
Bowen knew I was not paying transportation, and they seemed sur- 
prised ; they said Engley had always taken it out. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Was not that during the time that the 
Governor i-equired yon to refund ? 

A. Yes, sir. I did not expect to have to refund ; but unless he 
kept a very accurate account, it would easily get confounded, to use 
the same transportation. 

Q. Did you not keep an expense account with Engley ? 

A. Yes, sir. He has a biil with the items put down. 

Q. Kept by you ? 

A. Yes, sir. I have the items here. I have a bill and the names 



128 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

of the men, I guess. I put it down but had not time to draw it ojBP 
then. I had it done there in the office. I put it down here in a 
memorandum book — pencil mark and different ways. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Can you state in the gross about what all 
the expenses were for any given number of men, and of the time? 

A. Well, I could not ; I think the last bill I carried was $3,000 
for expenses. The amount of orders was $6,000 ; I don't mean that 
the orders were six thousand, because he reckoned in head money. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. If you could tell the whole number of 
men raised — the whole amount — 

A. He can tell, because he said he wanted to keep the bills to 
show. I gave him the account with all the items. 

Q. Did the head money and the orders amount to more or less 
than the expenses ? 

A. Oh, a great deal more. I don't mean the head money ; I 
mean the orders and the head money. The last we got, at the time 
when he thought he did not owe me anything. I think when we 
came to settleup, and the balance due between us Avas $2,000 on it, 
and that Avas Avhen we were not making much. I think Avhen we 
came to settle up it was $2,000. 

Q. Cannot you tell us more definitely than you did the other day, 
the whole number of men you furnished for this regiment? 

A. I think I have every man down here (mem. book.) I can 
run it over, probably in two minutes. I cannot tell you exactly. As 
near as I can count them, I fetched eight hundred and twenty-five men. 

Q. What proportion of them Avere accepted ? 

A. I should think six hundred of them certain. I Avas speaking 
about drawing $5 orders. Here appears to be a considerable num- 
ber of them. " I put them down — eighty — that I should know at the 
time. There Avas, September 26, Alfred Seymour, $5 ; then two $5 
dollar orders. All of those that are crossed (x) passed. Richard 
Anthonv did not pass at the time ; he passed afterwards. Those five 
men there was never anything taken from them. There is some 
that are $5. There appears to be one that Avas $10. 

Q. Does your book show Avhere the men came from ? 

A. I can find out by comparing this Avith the adjutant's book. 
There is an order for $10 when we first began to draw. There is 
Washington. That contraband came here Avith the first regiment, 
and he Avent thei-e (to Washington) and got, I think eight ; these 
appear to be at $50. They all came from Washington, and all Avere 
$50 each. Those were the first $50 dollar orders that aa-o drcAV. 

Q. Did you go to Washington Avith him? 

A. No ; he Avent there alone. 

Q. Did he advertise on the sly, or did he open an office ? 

A. Oh, it Avas all open ; there Avas no trouble there at all. 

Q. Did he issue any hand-bill ? 

A. No, sir ; he Avas acquainted there. 

Q. Did you, in any place beside New York, ever issue any hand- 
bills ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 129 



A. No, sir; no other place; and all my hand-bills were 
They complained, outsiders did, of that. I hurt them by advertising 
at $300. 

Q. Who complained ? 

A. Major Sanford said that I did wrong, and so did Engley. 

Q. They did not complain because you advertised what the bounty 
was ? 

A. Oh, they did not say that. (From his book.) There are 
ten dollars. Here are some that eame from farther. These are 
fifty dollars. One came at the same time, not so far and that is ten 
dollars. Here are four at fifty dollars, and three at fifteen dollars. I 
took an order for fifteen dollars. I ]]ad a rule, if a man came from 
New Jersey, I would say, if you fetch them, and if he got fifteen 
dollars out of the bounty, I will give you that, and that would leave 
me clear profit. If he could agree to give fifteen dollars out of the 
bounty, I paid the fifteen dollars from the bounty and had the rest clear. 

Q. Capt. Ballou, what was the form of these orders ? You have 
not any with you? 

A. I have not. 

Q. State it as near as you can. 

A. They varied a little, sometimes. They most generally read, 
" We, the undersigned," (sometimes we gave a number in one,) 
"agree to enlist in the Fourteenth R. I. H. A., for a State bounty of 
$250 or $275." At another time we wrote, " We promise to pay F. 
M. Ballou, or order, $15 out of our State bounty, for expenses paid 
for us," and they would sign it. 

Q. These men that signed this agreement, " We agree to enlist 
for $250," did ihey know what the State bounty was ? 

A. I do not tliink they did in all cases. I did not always ask 
them. When at the ofiice, a man would come in and say, " I have got 
five men." " What bounty were they to have ?" I would say, " I 
promised them $250," he would say. When I got through, I would 
call one out, and ask, " What is your name ?" and he would tell, 
and I would put it down. I would say, " How much bounty 
were you promised?" "$250," he would answer. "How was 
it promised?" "$25; and then $50 when mustered in, and the 
remainder when we arrived at the place of destination." I would 
say, " That is right ; you will get that." They would say, " We 
have been promised, if we were rejected by the doctor, that our ex- 
panses should be paid back," and, said I, " That will be so." A 
great many Avould ask if they could go back." A man would say, " I 
want this man to have a furlough. He can get a great many men. 
He has a family, and he is not all settled up." Another man, he 
would say, has looked out pretty well, and behaved pretty well, in 
the hope of having the furlough. Those that were passed, I had a 
chance to go to the adjutant's book to see, and I knew pretty near all 
that did, and where I stood. I did not always ask the men if they 
knew what bounty the State paid, for I did not know what had been 
said to them. 
17 



130 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. When you got these men for $250 did you get an order? 

A. Engley said I had only to hand these contracts in, and they 
would be paid. I don't know but he changed the orders. Some- 
times the men would go through without orders. 

Q. Did many of them think there was any $50 to be taken out 
for their expenses ? 

A. A great many times we told them that $50 would be taken 
out for their expenses. In other cases there was nothing taken out. 
I did not go out with them myself, I staid in New Yoi'k. At that 
time there began to be trouble in getting them through New York. 
In Connecticut they paid the cash there, without anything to be 
taken out of the man's bounty. I think the Governor or Provost 
Marshal issued an order that there should not be over $100 taken 
from a man's bounty. They would tell them the bounty was $310 ; 
if the man could agree to give anything, that was to be enlisted, 
they would ask, " have you agreed to give anything," and the man 
said ,"yes" — "how much ?" they would ask ; " $100 he would say ;" 
said they, " then you can pay it to him ;" like enough they would 
hand him the $300 or a check, and he would pay it. If he said he 
had promised to give $100 to carry him to Connecticut, and when he 
gets there he makes up his mind it is too much, and he said $50, I 
must take the $50 ; he was under no obligations to pay. I did not 
have but a few cases of this sort, because I treated the men well 
enough to make them satisfied Avith their pay ; as long as I was with 
them they had enough to eat, and were taken care of, I told them 
here that if they were willing to pay all expenses, I was willing to 
work for them, but I was not willing to work for it and have to divide 
with somebody else, and they do nothing. 

Q. What about selling these men watches ? 

A. Well, I come on at one time here, and I told Major Engley 
that a good many men wanted watches, and I asked what he thought 
about selling to them. Said I, " Nat Angell is at work in the oflBce, 
and he might work off a good many if you have a mind to collect the 
orders." He said, he " did not know, we might try and see ; " so 
I told Angell, and I think the first watch he sold, was one he bought 
of Robert Fessenden, a cheap gold watch ; he said he bought that for 
eighteen dollars. One man wanted it, and I told him I would take 
an order for twenty-five dollars and give five dollars beside. At that 
time Ave were taking a great many orders for twenty-five dollars of 
the bounty, and that would make an order to give in the same as th6 
rest. I think that was the first Avatch CA'er sold to them. Then 
Angell got some, and I think for Avhat he Avould sell he had to take 
his chances^ — he Avould sell the Avatch, and if, Avhen they got to ProA— 
idence, they liked the Avatch, they might keep it. He sold a few ni 
this Avay. The clerk, a kind of runner for Engley — Bush — said, a 
man had a watch here to day ; said it had stopj^ed, and I gaA-e him 
five dollars to get it fixed. If any of them fetched a watch that did 
not run, they had it fixed. But Angell makes eight dollars, for he 
don't give more than that, and if he does not, than he makes from 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 131 

five to seven dollars. I think he might have sold — I told Engley 
that I was responsible for all the watches, and I did not get a cent of 
the profits — he might have sold two dozen, and he might not so many. 
Engley said, " he must stop the watch trade, it was too nmch work to 
collect the orders, and the paymaster would not pay, and if I had just 
as lief as not — the paymaster did not want to bother," — stop selling ! 
it was not but a few days afterwards, Bush said, " they are getting 
the best of you, since you stopped, they have gone into the watch 
business, they sold twenty-five there," he said. I spoke toNoyes about 
it ; I said, "I don't know but T have as good a right to sell watches 
as Engley." He said, " Sheldon was selling watches." He (Shel- 
don) said, " I don't know but I am selling the watches, but I don't 
get a cent of pay. You know," said he, " who is selling, well 
enough ; I am at work by the day." 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You understand that Sheldon and Chase 
both worked by the day ? 

A. Yes, sir. I do not think Chase had a great deal to do with 
the watch trade. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. They sold other things besides watches ? 

A. They were afraid I would know too much about such articles. 
I did not have half the profits in the watches. I heard Sheldon say 
the other day, that he had received no money for anything, but ten or 
eleven dollars for chevrons put on sleeves. That was small — not 
more than fifty cents or so to put them on the sleeves. 

Q. You have had a great deal to do with the recruiting business, 
I wish to ask, if you know whether the conduct of Engley, his bad 
faith with agents, has in any way interfered with the recruiting busi- 
ness in this State ? 

A. I should think it had very materially. 

Q. Will you explain ? 

A. Well, in the first place, if he had kept good faith with me, 
I should have brought a good many men here that I carried to other 
places. I think Hill and Bowen left off work for the State of Rhode 
Island, on that account. I think Downing would have fetched more 
here, and Delaney, Works, and Brown. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Do you know of any agent in this State 
that is satisfied with the accounts and settling of Major Engley ? 

A. I never heard that any one was yet. They all said that he 
got tight — so I found at last. I was sorry at last I did not leave 
sooner ; my time was worth more for Connecticut. I wanted to 
settle the accounts so that it would be satisfactory at any rate. I 
don't think he kept any good faith with me. The little small things 
I told him affected me more than the large ones. I told one of my 
men that I sent on, I think it hurt me more in money to have men 
come on and kept in the office all day — no breakfast and no supper — 
because he was rejected, and he went back and told his friends how 
he was used. I told him I did not think it paid — I wanted my men 
to have enough to eat ; he pretended that he did not know that the 
men were in the office. I asked one of the men, and he said Engley 



132 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

told US he would not give us any money. We could feed ten or a 
dozen men a day at forty cents a day. I reuiember one case of a 
man that was recruited ; he says he came from Port Jarvis ; he said 
Engley agreed to send him home and sent him as far as New York, 
and there he was ; he had no money and nothing to eat ; I took and 
gave him three dollars to pay his fare ; I never expected to see him 
again ; I could not have him round, and told him I did it out of 
charity. I sent him off, and he telegraphed to me in less than a week 
that he had some men ; I paid that man all he asked, and f 300 
in less than a fortnight ; that's what I told them. I told them 
always, as a matter of policy, to use the rejected men well. I told 
Engley a good many times that he hurt us much by using the rejected 
men so. 

Q. Have you seen the testimony of Major Engley ? 

A. I have just looked it over. 

Q. Did you notice what he said of $2,000 that you refunded ? 

A. I did not ; I was listening to other testimony, and I did not 
look at that. 

Q. I wish you would state all the facts. 

A. I fetciied, after we dissolved — when I paid 815 a man — I 
fetched a lot of men here which were recruited by John Angell and 
Robert Fessenden and Aldrich. Most of them — the men — they said, 
had agreed to go for -flOO bounty, and they said, " Engley is taking out 
•1250," and John Angell said his Avas to have only $15. I think it 
was all he promised them. He drew up an order, and thev signed it, 
there in Engley 's office, agreeing to pay $200, and this was in the 
morning, before light ; before they had any talk Avith anybody, and 
"when Engley came in, he assented, and said, " I suppose some of the 
men are yours and some are mine," and he said, " All right." Said 
I, " That's a pi'etty stiff order, the largest one I ever drew. I think 
it is too much." He kind of laughed, and said something about you 
cannot draw too much now. There's but a little while to work. 
Said he, "I shall hold you responsible for this." Said I, "I am re- 
sponsible for it, any way." 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. What did he mean by that? 

A. That I was responsible whether the men would stand it or not. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You understood him to advise you to draw 
the order ? 

A. I did not understand whether he advised me to draw it 
or not. He had told me before to draw the orders for $250, or as 
large as the men would stand — anything they would agree to — that 
he had orders from the Governor to draw as high as $250. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did you understand that to be without 
regard to the place where they came from? 

A. It made no difference where I brought them from. In the 
first place, take $250 from any one that was contraband. Afterwards, 
he said, draw orders just as large as the men would stand, whatever 
they would agree to. Sometime afterwards the Governor asked me 
if I would not come up there. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 133 

Q, By Mr. Thomas. Did lie send for you ? 

A. I tliink when I came on I went there, and he said I want to 
see you about these orders. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. State the thing in full. 

A. There was but feAV words spoken, he asked if I was willing to 
refund. I told him I was. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did he tell you he did not authorize you 
to draw so large ? 

A. He said, "they have been taking $100 in such places," and 
he said, "jumping up to $'100 at once, is rather too much." Said I, 
"I think <|100 will pay." He asked if I would make it right ; said 

I, " I will some time when I come Avith " Major Sanford I 

think was there. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. These orders Avere $200 ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I told John Angell, " when you draAV an order, do 
not draw so much." Said he, '• Engley is drawing more." Said I, 
" I will find out." When I came on I went in and he said " you 
will rectify that." I said, " I will either make it right with men or 
money." He told me before that he was responsible for all the ordei's 
and should look to me if they wasn't right ; and for that one. Some- 
time afterwards I received a letter stating that he had nothing to do 
with that, and he did not care whether I paid it or not; it was noth- 
ing to him. Bailey came in from Washington, and wanted to leave 
soon, and said, "I thought you was coming in to make that right." 
I told him when I came on I would. He said I mio-ht arrange with 
Major Sanford. I came on, and said I, " Governor, I told you I 
would make that right," and Major Sanford was here. Said I, "Eng- 
ley has taken men from the same place, and they did not cost so 
much before and since ; I do not know what is fair for him and not 
for me ;" I told him this, so I arranged with Sanford. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. AVhat do you mean by arranging ? 

A. I gave $1,500 in money and Engley's check. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did you know that Engley, or either of 
the other parties were taking orders as large as $200 ? 

A. Yes, sir ; James Jefferson got men in Washington that I don't 
think cost delivered, $40 apiece. Ho only took half the profits and 
took $200 ; he went out again and came to New York, and said he 
was in trouble, and I lent him some money. He told me afterwards 
that he did not get anything for the men he lost. " When I got the 
men," said he, " he was willing to divide the profits, but never the 
losses." All of Engley's men that came there to New York, made 
their head quarters at my office. His agent Avas renting my office. 
If any were rejected, I paid their passage home. When I came 
jiere, he told me not to pay any more transportation on his account 
without an order. "What are you going to do?" said I, "I don't 
want them hanging about my office." I went back and found eight 
men rejected — I sent home three. I found the same thing in Buffalo 
and I took the trouble to send them home. One man said he came 
in the morning, and had had but one meal ; my boy had gone to a 



134 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

cellar to get something for him to eat at my expense — he mnst have 
something to eat — I told him (Engley) how things stood. Some 
went in the navy. These men made a fuss, and quite a crowd gath- 
ered round. One man came in and gave me quite a damning, and said 
the State of Rhode Island disgraced herself. I told them they were 
mistaken. I telegraphed to Engley, and he paid no attention to it. 
I sent another despatch to Sanford, that Engley had a lot of men here 
without money or transportation. I soon received a dispatch from 
Engley, " furnish these men with transportation and charge to my 
account." I do not know whether he got my despatch. I got word 
from the Governor that all rejected men must be sent home faithfully, 
I would not have them hanging round here or in the camp. I 
thought there was authority to make Engley send the men home. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did he afterwards pay you for them? 

A. Yes, sir, when I fetched in my bill for transportation. 

Q. This fetched him up, when the dispatch reached Sanford. 

A. Yes, sir. You can imagine how you Avould feel, a hundred 
miles from liome, with not a cent of money and nothing to eat. Wil- 
liam Brown, a clerk for Sanfoixl, has had a man come into that office 
inquirino- for Engley, and crying ; but this man Engley would not lift 
his toes to help him. He was trying to borrow money to go to Massa- 
chusetts, and he guessed he had gone. He told me to-day he was 
going out into the country to work for his board — to see if he could 
get anything to do. A great many have got places to work round 
here to save the expense of sending them home. 

Mr. Thomas. This is the case, and he ought to be sent home. 
Mosely, (who was present,) he wants to go. 

Capt. Ballou. They promised to send the man home if he wanted 
to go, and he says he does. They scared him so that he walked eight 

miles ; clear out to . I gave him some money to pay his fare 

in the cars. He had been promised transportation home, and the 
man who fetched him is here now ; but he was at work for Engley, 
and it beloncfs to him to send him home, and nobody else. This man 
would have paid $200 for being recruited if he had passed. If you 
ever have Euller before you, he will say that, for this man and others 
that were fetched in, he will have $200 out of their bounty. This 
man did not understand it. I do not know how it was explained to 
him. I told John Clark that I was paying so much for putting them 
through. He said I was a d — n fool. I told him I did not know 
about that. I could not get the orders drawn, and I could not get 
the men to pass. He might have said he would not work ; but I 
could not work at all — if I worked here I had got to work through a 
certain channel. The Governor told me when I refunded the money. 
I asked him if he thought there was any fraud in it. He said no. 
I asked Sanford, and said I, I want to know. Said he, no. I thought 
it was a large order to draw. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You knew they had taken as large or 
larger orders ? 

A. I was not sure at the time. They, at that time kept all these 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 135 

things to themselves. I think Hill got an order not to draw orders 
for more than so much at such a place, and we would soon find them 
drawing orders larger. Then he would go to him and say, " You can 
draw now, we have had different orders." Angell then stated that 
he was told to draw orders for $200 and S250. These were most all 
contrabands. They had been in the rebel armies, and were as much 
entitled to pay that as any. I think they cost as much as any men 
to fetch in. They said they did. But I never filled one, (they were 
bought) although some of these men cost pretty high. I did not 
make much at a hundred dollars. I might have taken these same 
men to Connecticut and made $2100 more, and they had $4200 ; be- 
cause, at that time they were paying $310 cash, and $10 once in four 
months, which amounted to $100. If I had paid $300, same as they 
would have got here, I should have made $100. I should have got 
$100 — I should have made $200 apiece. 

Q. By Mr. Tiiomas. Have you seen a bill of Engley's repre- 
senting the State bounty at less than $300 ? 

A. I have never seen them signed by Engley. I have seldom 
seen bills used signed by any one. They said, " For further particu- 
lars inquire at 66 Washington street," and we adhered to that plan. 

Q. Were these men recruited while Engley and you were in 
company ? 

A. I think if I had been in company with him, there never would 
have been any refunded. 

Q. Engley drew these orders, did he not ? 

A. No, he cashed the orders ; I drew them myself. 

Q. I mean, he drew the pay ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did Engley find any fault at the time? 

A. No, sir ; he did not. ^ 

Q. He did not intimate to you, that there Avas anything Avrong ? 

A. Nothing more than that, "• I shall hold you responsible." It 
api^eared from what I have heard, that there was a man there in the 
office, named Freeman. I had a fuss on the boat with him. I came 
on at the same time and he was drunk. It appears that he told the 
men that the bounty was three hundred dollars, and they were not 
obliged to pay a cent. Engley said that he did not know as the men 
would stand it, and he said, he " should hold me responsible," and he 
told me before, " that it was all right if the men would go for that." 
Then he was gettincr nothino- onlv the fifteen dollars and was not so- 
ing to run tho risk. 

Q. How much did Engley make on these men? 

A. He had fifteen dollars a piece for them. I was not to work 
for this State after that. I told them I would not send men here un- 
less they wanted to come. If the men had friends here, I would send 
them. If they wanted to go to Connecticut, I should send them. If 
they could get cash down in Connecticut they would rather go there, 
and I did not have to divide with anybody. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Who is this man that came on with you ? 



136 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. He belongs to the regiment. He lias moved out into Cum- 
berland, in Connecticut. 

Q. In Connecticut do you take the men to camp, or do thej all 
go through one office ? 

A. No, sir. Any Provost Marshal receives the men from any- 
where, and you all have the same chance. 

Q. Do the towns pay any part of the bounty ? 

A. No ; no part of the bounty. A great many towns make up a 
subscription, and say we will give you so much. They pass round the 
hat to all the money men, and then send out the money to get the men. 
Say it was North Stonington. The first place I filled was Scotland. 
There were six men rejected. They would take men in Connecticut 
that they would not take here. Here they woidd not take a man un- 
less he was five feet three inches in height, strong and robust. I 
was going to New York, and this man said, I think these men would 
pass, and he said, if they will, do so. I think, he said he would give me 
$50 apiece, over and above all bounties. They had raised a subscrip- 
tion, and I got three or four more men, and I took on these men, and 
they went there and all passed but one, and they said he was too young. 
I took most of my men to Norwich, although you can take them any- 
where — to Norwich, New Haven, or any place where there is a 
Provost INIarshal. This was done here at the request of the Governor 
that they should be separate from the Provost Marshal's. But then 
I knew the Provost Marshal used to be the editor of a paper. When 
the man came down after he had passed the doctor, the papers were 
made out and he was sworn in ; if I was there he gave me an order 
on the bank, and he would say to the men, "how much bounty has 
the Captain promised you here." Well, he has promised us $250, 
or perhaps $300." " You are satisfied with that — here is your order 
(check) for $300, and here is $10 in money." Now, if he was a 
mind to let me have the order, and I was a mind to pay them the 
money they did it. A good many did not give anything and a good 
many did. They would not allow you to take over $100. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You got some money of the towns ? 

A. Yes, sometimes $10 and sometimes $20 ; I think Norwich 
gave $20 which you would get beside the bounty. They never 
charged for making out papers anywhere, except New York — you 
have heard an account of Spinola there — he calculated to have $10 
apiece. Spinola told me himself, " that the men were damned lucky 
if they got $100 ; they could well afford to give the clerk $10." 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. This man you have here belonged to the 
first battalion of the regiment ? 

A. Yes ; he was recruited by Dr. Helme with the first company. 

Q. How is he here ? 

A. He has never been mustered in. I will tell you. After he 
came here and was sworn in, he got a furlough to go back recruiting, 
and recruited men, and was taken sick some time, and then started 
on a furlough and was arrested as a deserter. I got him off', and then 
he moved his family on here, and has just got round, to be notified 
that he must come in and see the Marshal. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 137 

Q. How many agents did you employ? 

A. I don't think, at one time, or all put together, there were a 
dozen. 

Q. At any one time, what should you guess ? 

A. If you call these enlisted men agents — this Mr. Hayward, if 
he was called an agent, we might have had twenty-five at one time. 
But I did not reckon them as agents, either if they got or if they did 
not get men. I think I told Hayward he should have $10 apiece and 
expenses. There were eight or ten white agents — that we called 
agents — that we booked. 

Q. At the time of your partnership, was Engley carrying on any 
other business with anybody else ? 

A. Why, yes ; he appeared to every man who haveYetched men. 
either in his employ, or in company with him. He had a brother, 
brother-in-law, cousin and almost everybody else. 

Q. How much money do you think you made? 

A. I think Engley and I together made something like $3000 or 
$4000 apiece. That was his share of my earnings, without saying 
anything about anything else. One man made Engley $5000 ; an- 
other man $2000; Mr. Brown, I think he figures his at $1500 or 
$2000. 

Q. When you took those $200 orders, how were they paid ? 

A. I just brought an order to Major Engley, and he figured it up 
and looked to see if the men all passed. He got returns from them 
from camp, and he wrote a check. I do not kncjw but he took out 
the transportation of these men. 

Q. Did the paymaster pay these $200 orders ? 

A. I cannot tell you. Engley paid it all right, and gave me a 
check. 

TESTIMONY OF COL. HENRY C. JENCKES. 

Monaay, February 6th, 1865. 

I reside in Providence — was connected with the 2d Regiment. 

Q. Have you been in any way interested in recruiting for that or 
any other regiment in the State ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q . Under what authority ? 

A. Governor Smith's. 

Q. What was the arrangement under which you entered into the 
recruiting service ? 

A. The first time I entered into the recruiting service, I was sent 
here, by order from the War Department. That was in 1862. The 
last time I received orders on the 25th of July, from Governor Smith, 
to take charge of the re-organization of the 2d R. I. Regiment. 

Q. Under what arrangement was you to recruit ? What was 
the bounty ? 

A. The first time I commenced, the head money was $20 for a 
one year man. I recruited under that head until some time in Au- 
la 



138 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

gust, wlien I went to the Governor and told him that we could not 
succeed unless we could have more funds. He then placed at my 
disposal $50 per man, to be used as I thought best, as head money, 
part head money and part bounty to the men, to the best advantage 
I could to procure recruits. 

Q. Was that arrangement modified afterwards ? and if so, how ? 

A. I worked under that arrangement until the 2d of January, 
then I had orders to recruit for any of the Rhode Island regiments. 
Orders to pay cash on the certificates of $150 as issued by the Pro- 
vost Marshals. Previous to that, I had broken up my camp at 
Mashapaug, and all enlisting had been done through the boards of 
enrollment. Previous to that time. Dr. Gardiner had examined my 
recruits. 

Q. What did you receive from the Provost Marshal for those 
vouchers ? 

A. I received $200. 

Q. You received $200 for a $150 voucher ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Will you explain how that was, and how the men were re- 
cruited ? Did the runner bring the recruit in and enlist him, and 
you buy the certificate of the runner ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I had thirty or forty different parties bringing ia 
men, and I got their certificates, and I gave them money for them. 
They would bring me a $150 certificate, and I would give them the 
money for it ; I turned it over to the Governor and received $200 
for it. 

Q. Before this, what did you receive for the $50 certificates from 
the Provost Marshals. 

A. I didn't have anything to do with Provost Marshals at that 
time, I was acting under a special order from the War Department. 

Q. Did you receive any more than $150 for these men ? 

A. No, sir ; if a man brought me a recruit, then he could make 
out the papers for $20, and go to the Quartermaster General and 
collect it. I had authority to pay $50 in addition to that. 

Q. Did you draw it for every man put in after you received that 
authority ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I paid that over to the runners that brought me the 
recruits ; some of it I paid to the recruits. 

Q. Did you pay it all over to the runners and recruits, and receive 
no profit from it yourself ? 

A. No, sir; I was under pay as Lieutenant-Colonel, and received 
no profit from this source. 

Q. What was your relation to these men that brought recruits ? 
Anything more than that you bought the certificates when they came? 

A. I made arrangements with these men to bring me recruits, 
and if the men passed I would give them cash for the certificates, 
after which I went to the Governor and got his order on the certifi- 
cate, and received $200. 

Q. From whom did you draw the money? 

A. From the Quartermaster General. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 139 

Q. Are you in the business now ? and is this arrangement the one 
in force to day? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were there other persons who cashed these certificates besides 
yourself ? 

A. I presume, and have heard that there were, I have no definite 
knowledge of any, and have never seen any transactions of the kind. 

Q. About how many of them did you cash ? 

A. I should think likely I have cashed some thirty or thirty-five. 

TESTIMONY OF JOHN W. NOYES. 

February 1st, 1865. 

I reside in the city of Providence, and am at present with the 
State Commissioner, Col. A. D. Smith, 3d, previous to that I Avas 
with Major Engley, previous to that with the Quartermaster General. 

Question. Have you been familiar with the mode of enlisting men 
into the fourteenth regiment ? 

Answer. Yes, sir ; I had charge of it during the time I was with 
Major Engley. 

Q. State if at that time you were familiar with the mode of enlist- 
ing men and paying bounties, or of men giving orders for bounties? 

A. Orders were given, and sometimes it would be exactly in the 
form of an order. If I recollect exactly, some of it would be in the 
form of a regular enlistment agreement, to enlist for such a bounty. 
Sometimes there was an agreement drawn up to enlist for certain 
bounties. 

Q. Suppose a man agreed to enlist for a bounty of $50, what 
would become of the rest of the bounty ? Who would that be 
paid to ? 

A. It would be paid to the recruiting officer. 

Q. Who was the recruiting officer ? 

A. Major Engley had charge of it. He was the responsible party. 

Q. It would be paid to, and disposed of, under the direction of 
Major Engley ; either to runners, or otherwise, as he saw fit ? 

A. No, sir ; it was paid to him, as I understood it. 

Q. When these orders was given, how were they given? Were 
they read to the men, or did they go up and sign them, making their 
marks, without their being read ? 

A. Sometimes they were read to them, and sometimes they were 
asked individually, each man, what amount of bounty they agreed to 
enlist for, and then, Avhen he stated it, the agreement was drawn up 
and he signed his name to it. Sometimes the orders were read ; just 
as it happened. 

Q. They were sometimes signed without being read ? 

A. Well, they might have been : I can't say positively as to that. 
I did not read them all myself. I did not see all the men personally. 
I saw a great many of thera personally. 

Q. Did some of the men demur to signing the orders? 



140 REPORT OF THE rTNA]SCE COMMITTEE 

A. Not at the time they signed. No, sir. I never heard any 
complaint at all ; never heard them say anything against it. 

Q. Do you know anything about watches and merchandize sold 
by Major Engley ? 

A. I know there was some sold b}' Mr. Sheldon, and I have un- 
derstood that Major Engley advanced the money for that purpose. 

Q. Were other officers of the State in the habit of visiting that 
office frequently ? 

A. No, sir ; not frequently. 

Q. Occasionally ? 

A. Yes, sir ; occasionally they have been in there. 

Q. What other officers ? 

A. Major Sanford has been in there, as superintendent of recruit- 
ing. He came occasionally on business. 

Q. Who else ? " 

A. Col. Bailey has been in, perhaps half-a-dozen times in the 
course of that period. Once in a great while Col. Francis would 
come in. 

Q. Major Sanford you say was superintendent of recruiting. Did 
Major Engley act under him ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What arrangement was made between Engley and him about 
recruiting ? 

A. They never had any, sir. 

Q. Do you know wdiether Major Sanford received any proportion 
of the profits arising from that business ? 

A. I don't know that he did. Never heard that he did. I have 
no knowlege about it. I never took interest enough in it to inquire. 

Q. Do you know anything of the amount of the bounty in the 
aggregate, received by the men of the 14th regiment, which was 
received by Major Engley ? 

A. Well, that I could not say, sir. 

Q. About how much ? 

A. I never have figured it up, or looked into the matter at all ? 

Q. Could you ascertain, now ? 

A. No, sir. Not without examining the orders and casting them 
up. 

Q. They are in the Paymaster's hands ? 

A. So, I understand, the orders and agreements. 

Q. Were all the men enlisted for that regiment, through that of- 
fice, or nearly all ? 

A. Well, I think they were, though they commenced raising the 
regiment in August. I had nothing to do with it until October. 

Q. One or two companies were raised before Major Engley had 
anything to do with it ? 

A. That was before I had anything to do with the office. 

Q. Do you know anything farther about the facts connected with 
recruiting frauds at that office, or raal-practices connected with these 
men ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 141 

A. I do not, sir. 

Q. Do you know how the business was conducted ? 

A. It was just in that manner ; the men gave orders and agree- 
ments for their bounty, and then they were turned into the Paymaster 
General's hands, and the money was paid to Major Engley. 

Q. Did Major Engley have anything to do with recruiting, other 
than receiving recruits at the office ? 

A. Well, he had the whole charge of it ; he had his agents 
throughout the country ; he went for some men himself; I think 
he came on with one squad or more ; I don't know but what he did 
more, I couldn't say. 

JOHN W. NOYES.— Recalled. 

Q. What do you know about the colored men being locked up? 

A. I ])robably had as much to do with locking men up as any- 
thing. The reason why they were locked up was this : They would 
frequently come in at night about six o'clock, and the doors were at 
first left open, and the consequence was that they were continually in 
the room where I was sitting writing, asking questions about this and 
that, and after they came in we had to make an order, on the person 
who kept them furnished with board, &c. (They were continually 
coming into the little room, and would go down into the street, and 
meet somebody who had money in his pocket, and get something to 
drink, and feel very nicely, so that Avhen they got ready to go up to 
their boarding-place, they were in a condition in which we did not 
like to send men to any decent boarding-place. They were in the 
habit of drinking very frequently) after they were sworn into the ser- 
vice, until they were clothed, it was frequently the case that we had to 
have the outside door locked, and the one going into the room where 
I was, was most always unlocked. Occasionally I had some other 
writing to attend to, when it was locked. With regard to any mans 
being ill-treated, or anything of that kind, there was one case where a 
man went out in that way and got very much intoxicated and very 
abusive to every one in the office, and seemed disposed to turn everv- 
thing upside down, and by order of Major Engley he was put in irons 
at that time, and in no other case. 

Q. What did this man complain of when he came in ? 

A. He didn't seem to complain of anything in particular, but only 
inclined to have a time generally. 

Q. Was he an enlisted man, or one who had not been enlisted? 

A. I don't remember particularly about that ; I think he had been 
sworn in, sir. I don't recollect the man's name. 

TESTIMONY OF W. S. OCCLESTON. 

Thursday, January 26. 
I am here in Providence as recruiting officer for the 15th U. S. 
Infantry. I arrived here on the 5th of December, 1864, on recruit- 
ing service, and have recruited about 78 men. 



142 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Under what terms were these enlistments made as to bounty 
paid the men ? 

A. When I arrived here in December, the bounty from the State 
was $300 for three years, and $300 by the Government, and there 
was a premium, as I was informed, of $90. I was informed outside 
that there was more pay for presenting the men. I got my first in- 
formation from Col. Chas. E. Bailey and Major Sanford. I enlisted 
four men in the month of December — two on the 12th, one on the 
13th, and one on the 15th of December. Their names are as fol- 
lows : George W. Gladding, William Willis, Stephen S. Fairfield, 
Andrew V. Latham. I carried to Col. Bailey the vouchers for those 
four men. He approved the voui-hers for $110 and they were paid 
by the Quartermaster General. I subsequently enlisted men. A few 
evenings after, I received an order from Col. Bailey, by order of the 
Governor, that hereafter the premiums would be $60 for one year 
men, $80 for two years men, and $90 for three years men. The 
$90 premium was the only one that affected me. 

Q. Will you examine tha|; paper, and see if it is a copy of the 
order of Colonel Bailey ? 

A. It is a copy of that order. These vouchers were to be made 
out in duplicate. There were four vouchers, two of each kind. One 
was headed, " expenses incurred on recruiting services," and the 
other was headed, " expenses incurred in enlisting the following 
named men." They were respectively, for $40 and $50, Avhich made 
the $90 premium. Two vouchers were required for each man en- 
listed, one $40 and one $50. I made out those vouchers. They 
were approved by Colonel Bailey, and paid by the Quartermaster 
General. I paid the money to the persons bringing the recruits. 
From the 15th of December to the last day of December, I received 
$90. The $110 was in two vouchers for $60 and $50, respectively. 
Since then I have received $150 for each man — a premium of $100 
extra, or local bounty, making $400 local bounty instead of $300, 
after the 1st of January, 1865. It was done by order of the Gov- 
ernor ; I was ordered to make out my vouchers accordingly. The 
vouchers were changed after the first day of January, and only one 
set made out ; that was, " for expenses incurred in enlisting the fol- 
lowing named men." 

Q. Will you examine that letter? 

A. That is an original letter over my signature. 

[This letter states that Lieutenant Occleston has received informa- 
tion that the amounts paid John N. Francis are as follows :] 

Headquarters Recruiting Rendezvous 15tii U. S. Infantry, | 
Providence, R. I., December 23d, 1864. j 

Capt. Wm. E. Hamlin, Provost Marshal, First Congressional District, State of Rhode 
Island: 
Captain. — I have the honor to ask for information concerning the amount of pre- 
miums paid for recruits, enlisted and credited to this State. I have received informa- 
tion that the amounts paid to John N. Francis, are as follows : For one year recruits 
$85; two years recruits .^95 ; and for three years recruits §125 each. I would further 
state that I have drawn from the Quartermaster General of the State of Rhode Island, 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 143 

on vouchers approved by Col. Charles E. Bailey, A. D. C, the sum of $110 for the 
first four men enlisted by me. Since which I have received the following order, (a 
copy of which I enclose you.) I would respectfully state that I ask for this informa- 
tion out of motives strictly for the good ol tlie service. Being an ofKcer of the govern- 
ment, and placed on the recruiting service in this city, I would respectfully ask your 
aid in placing me on an equal footing with the other parties engaged in the recruiting 
service, as it will enable me to obtain a great many more men for the service. 
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
WM. B. OCCLESTON, 

First Lieut. 15th U. S. Infantry, Recruiting Officer. 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, Dec. 15, 1864. j 
Lieut. Wm. B. Occleston, Fifteenth U. S. Infantry, Providence, R. 1. 

Sir. — I have the honor to inform you that the following premium will be paid for 
recruits enlisted in your "regiment," and credited to this State. 

For a one year recruit $60 

" "two " " 80 

" " three " " , 90 

Only bills for the above amounts can be approved at this department. 
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

CHARLES E, BAILEY, Colonel and A. D. C. 
A true copy: 

Wm. B. Occleston, First Lieut. 15th U. S. Infantry, Recruiting Officer. 

I got my information about these additional bounties from the men 
engaged in bringing the recruits ; they wouki say there was more 
paid ; that John N. Francis was getting $125 for three years recruits 
and only paying $90. For all the men enlisted from the 15th of 
December, 1861, to the 31st of December, 1864, we were paid $90 ; 
previous to the 15th I received $110. I was led to inquire why it 
was, that if I was not entitled to draw but $90, I received $110 at 
the first. If these parties were allowed $25 more than I was, they 
could offer more inducements to runners to bring men, than I could ; 
I wanted to be placed on an equal footing with them. I made this 
statement in Colonel Bailey's office, " I don't propose to make any- 
thing out of this ; I propose to pay out every cent I receive to the 
men bringing these recruits." The answer I received was, " We 
know that ; if you were making out of it, it would not matter so 
much." 

LIEUT. W. B. OCCLESTON— Recalled. 

Wednesday, February 8th. 

Q. If you have any information further than you stated the other 
day upon the subject of bounties and the enlisting of recruits in this 
State, you will state it ; I mean State bounties to State recruits? 

A. I believe I have stated before in reference to the amount of 
bounties and premium. 

Q. I want to include premium in the question ? 

A. I don't know anything about that, except in reference to my 
own case ; the men I have enlisted, i. e. fifty-one in the month of Janu- 
ary, I have received $150 premium for. 



144 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Did you receive, personally, any benefit from that ? 

A. No, sir ; I paid that to the man presenting the recruit. 

Q. From whom did you receive it ? 

A. From the Quartermaster General. 

Q. Are you still recruiting for the United States Government in 
this State ? 

A. Yes, sir ; the recruits I obtain are credited to the State in the 
quota. 

Q. Have you made any application in reference to head money, 
to the Governor, or to any officer connected with the Executive 
Department, and Avhat took place ? 

A. I made application at the Governor's office on Saturday last, 
the 4th of February. 

Q. To whom did you make application ? 

A. I made application to the Governor — asked him for informa- 
tion in reference to bounties and premiums. He first referred me to 
Colonel Bailey, who happened to be close by, and he replied to the 
Governor, that my case was already under his consideration. The 
Governor seemed to hesitate a while, and then Colonel Bailey told 
him what the case was in reference to a sergeant of mine that had 
been arrested. The Governor said that he could not give me any 
answer until Tuesday. Colonel Bailey said the Governor would not 
allow me to do any more recruiting while I kept that sergeant here ; 
he had been arrested for giving forged exemption papers. He gave a 
paper which was not an exemption paper, it was simply a joke played 
on a man sent there by certain parties, I don't know exactly who the 
parties were. 

The following is the paper referred to : 

Headquarters 46th Rhode Island Regt., ) 
January 40th, 1869. S 

This is to certify that Joseph A. Greene, of Westerly, State of Rhode Island, has 
this day appeared before me, for medical examination for exemption i'rom the service 
of the United States, and found totally unfit for the service. He suffering with the 
Asthma and " Water on the Brain." I declare him wholly unfit for the service of the 
United States. 

Given under my hand and seal, this 40th day of January, 1869. 

N. B. SQUILLS, 

Examination Surgeon. 
A true copy, 

W. B. OCCLESTON, 

1st Lieut. 15th U. S. Infantry. 

Q. What else took place? 

A. Nothing further was said at that time. 

Q. At any other time ? 

A. There was sometime previous to that, I cannot remember the 
dates, when I had some talk with Col. Bailey in reference to the 
premiums. The date of that order will show that I was to be allowed 
only $90 ; that, I have already testified about. 

Q. Was any reference made to Col. Neide, in any of these con- 
versations ? 

A. No, sir ; I don't remember that there was. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 145 

Q. Are you still recruiting? 

A. I am, sir. 

Q. Do you receive any hand-money or premium for recruits ? 

A. No, sir ; I have not as yet ; I have not given any certificates 
yet ; I only commenced yesterday to recruit. 

Q. How do the men recruited by you compare in numbers with 
those recruited by other officers in the State. 

A. I think, for one office, I have enlisted a larger number of men 
than any other in the State — fifty-one from the 1st of Jan. to the 21st 
of January ; that was from the time that the premiums went up $150 
until they were done away with. I enlisted twenty-eeven men in De- 
cember. I came into the State on the 5th day of December. 

Q. In reference to these fifty-one men, you say you received $150. 
How much did other men receive for their recruits ? 

A. That I could not state positively, but I have heard that they 
received 8200. 

Q. Who received the $200 ? 

A. I heard that Capt. Starkey, Major Engley, Col. Francis, and 
Col. Jenc'kes, received $200. I would like to state there have been 
men sent to me during the time I was enlisting these men, who told 
me that Capt. Starkey and Major Engley wished them to take the 
vouchers or certificates from me, (not the money) to them, and they 
would cash them for $150, the same that I was cashing them for. I 
did not allow that to be done. I took the certificates to the Quarter- 
master General. I told them I would not allow any man to make 
money from my labor, if they could not enlist the men for that price. 
I would not allow any man to make $50 on my labor ; or words to 
that effect. 

Q. You are prohibited from receiving any compensation except 
your pay, as lieutenant, under the laws of the United States ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

TESTIMONY OF CHRISTOPHER RHODES. 

January 31st, 1865. 

I am clerk in the Provost Marshal's department for the Seeond 
District. 

Q. State what you know, if anything, in reference to the payment 
of bounties and bounty certificates to recruits, and the disposition of 
such bounties since you have been in that office ? 

A. I never saw any orders of the Executive, I know that the 
Provost Marshal issued certificates. At first, for one year men, the 
certificates were $20 ; three years, $50. I think he enlisted one two 
years man, a short time ago, I am not sure of the date, it was for $35 
or $40. We never had but that one ; I don't recollect the amount 
that was on the face of the voucher. We gave $20 for one year 
men, and $50 for three years men. Those certificates were supposed 
to be delivered to the man that brought the recruit in. 

Q. To the runners ? 

19 



146 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. Yes, sir ; to the man that presented the recruit ; It was the 
custom of certain parties, to buy these certificates up. I have known 
them to give $'60 for a one year voucher, a $20 voucher, and 890 for 
a $50 voucher. On the 3d of January they increased the head 
money to $150. They increased the Provost Marshal's certificates 
to $150. 

Q. Who were the parties that purchased these certificates ? 

A. I know Captain Starkey purchased some ; I would not swear 
to it, but I think John N. Francis purchased some. I know the 
runners used to come in and bring the recruits, and these men would 
have the vouchers made out in their names. 

Q. In John N. Francis' name ?" 

A. Yes, sir ; he did not have a great many, perhaps a dozen or so. 

Q. Who requested them to do it? i. e. to have the names in- 
serted. 

A. Sometimes the parties themselves Avould do it, and sometimes 
the runner would do it, i. e. to have their name inserted in the cer- 
tificate. 

Q. Did John N. Francis, or these other men, have anything to 
do with recruiting these men ? 

A. I could not answer that. I don't know. I know that Cap- 
tain Starkey brought quite a number of men himself. I knew he 
gave this head money, because there was a man brought in a recruit 
himself. He thought he did'nt get what was due on him. I told 
him, I would take it for him and get what I could for it. I got $100 for 
the three years voucher. I sold it to Capt. Starkey. I did not buy 
it from the other man, but took it as a matter of accommodation to 
him. 

Q. You say, you never heard any other person say anything as to 
the insertion of the names of Capt. Starkey, Col. Francis, or any 
other person in these certificates ? 

A. I was clerk, and Capt Chadsey gave me orders to make them 
out to such and such men. I made them out in accordance with the 
orders of Capt. Chadsey. I never made any out at all, without his 
orders, so nothing could fall upon me in that respect, and I don't know 
from whom he received his orders requesting him to make them out 
in that way. I don't know for certain, that he received such orders 
from anybody. I heard him say one day, that he didn't know as he 
had any right to give them to anybody but Col. Francis and Captain 
Starkey. I was talking to the Captain one day about it, and asked 
him. 

Q. He did'nt know as he had any right to give vouchers to any 
body but Col. Francis and Captain Starkey ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How long have you been connected with the recruiting ser- 
vice ? 

A. I have been in the office since May, 1863. We commenced 
recruiting in our office, June 27, 1864. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 147 

Q. Do you know, or can you state anything further, in relation 
to the payment of bounties ? 
A. I know nothing further. 

TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM LAIR, (Colored.) 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Question. Where do you live ? 

Answer. In 75 Vandam street. New York. 

Q. What has been your business during the last summer and fall? 

A. Well, I was engaged in Major Engley's office in New York. 

Q. What did you do ? 

A. Well, I simply kept the office for them — writing sometimes. 

Q. Was Major Engley there himself? 

A. Yes, sir ; he was there then. 

Q. When was that? 

A. It was about the first of August. 

Q. What was Major Engley doing there ? 

A. Well, he was recruiting. 

Q. Did you assist in the recruiting business ? 

A. No, sir ; I staid at the office and took the names as the men 
came in. 

Q. Did you take in a good many men ? 

A. Yes, sir ; a pretty good many ; sometimes ten or eleven a day. 

Q. How much bounty were they paid ? 

A. They were paying $300. 

Q. Did the men all understand that that was the bounty ? 

A. Yes, sir ; a pretty good many of them. 

Q. Did they give any part of it to Major Engley ? 

A. No, sir ; not as I know of. 

Q. Did they buy of him any watches or other property ? 

A. No, sir ; not as I know of. 

Q. Major Engley took them on to Providence from New York ? 

A. Yes, sir ; him and a man in Broad street, New York — I have 
forgot his name. Downing used to fetch his men on. 

Q. Where did this man come from ? 

A. New York — Peter Downing. 

Q. These men that you took in there when Major Engley was 
there, were they picked up in New York ? 

A. Some of them were picked up in New York, some in Pough- 
keepsie, and all around there. 

Q. Did you know of any of the men coming back therefrom 
Providence — being rejected in Providence and returned ? 

A. No, sir ; only one, and that was Wynkoop — he belonged in 
Poughkeepsie. 

Q. Were his expenses paid back ? 

A. No, sir ; they were not paid back, unless as far as New York. 

Q. Major Engley did not pay his expenses from Providence to 
his home ? 



148 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. No, sir, only from Providence to New York. 

Q. Did the man make any complaint ? 

A. Yes, sir ; he wanted to get home ; he said it was a shame that 
they did not send him home, after brino:ing him from his home. 

Q. What was the agreement if he came on and should be rejected? 

A. They should be sent home, their expenses paid, and give them 
some change to get something to eat. 

Q. How was this man's expenses paid from Providence to New 
York, do you know ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not. 

Q. Do you know of any frauds practiced upon the men in Eng- 
ley's office, in New York ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not, sir. 

Q. What was paid to the men in the first lot, when they first 
enlisted ? 

A. Twenty-five dollars. 

Q. How much did Engley pay for these men ? 

A. When they first come there he was paying two dollars a head. 
Then he was told there was another agent there, who got in all the 
men, and he said he would raise to $3, and he kept it up to $5 quite 
some time, and then he told his agent he could not afford to pay any 
more, and then he paid $2, because he was not getting paid so much 
as he was paying. 

Q. How much pay did Engley get for the men at that time ? 

A. I do not know, sir. 

Q. Did the men themselves pay him anything ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. No part of their bounty ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Was Captain Ballou in company with him at this time ? 

A. I believe not, sir. 

Q. You werd in the office with Captain Ballou afterwards ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I went to Captain Ballou's office afterwards. 

Q. At that time Engley and Ballou were not in company ? 

A. Well, I could not say, sir. 

Q. Did you know of any fraud or deception that was practiced 
upon the men in Captain Ballou's office ? 

A. No more than when Captain Ballou was away, some rnen 
would come in at $250, and we would make an order out for $80, 
and sometimes a hundred dollars. 

Q. Did the men assent to it ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did they understand what the State bounty was ? 

A. I believe they did, sir. 

Q. Do you know of any case where the man was deceived as to 
the amount of State bounty ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not, sir. 

Q. Do you know of any watches, or other property being sold to 
the men, in Captain Ballou's office ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 149 

A. Yes, sir. I know I had a few watches — myself and Nat An- 
gell — we sold them. 

Q. What'did you get for watches ? 

A. Well, we had some good watches and got $20. 

Q. What did you pay ? 

A. Well, sir, I believe wo paid $L8. 

Q. Don't you know how much you paid for them.^ 

A- No, sir ; I do not. 

Q. You took orders for the men ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did Captain Baliou have anything to do with this business ? 
Did he know anything about it ? 

A. I believe he did, sir. 

Q. Did you know of any of these bogus watches, or burners, as 
was said here ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you sell any other goods to these men ? 

A. No, sir ; nothing else. 

Q. How many watches do you think were sold at that office ? 

A. Well, sir, I could not tell, I guess about twenty-four watches. 

Q. Who was your partner in the business ? 

A. Nat Angeil. 

Q. Does he live in New York ? 

A. No, sir ; he lives in Providence. 

Q. Who bought the Avatches? 

A. He bought them. 

Q. Did he have the money himself to buy them ? 

A. Yes, sir — his own money. 

Q. How long did you remain in that office ? 

A. I believe I went there on the 16th of August. I have been 
with them ever since. 

Q. Were you in his office there ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Does he have an office there, now ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. What are J ou doing, now ? 

A. Weh, I am working for his father. 

Q. Did you draw the orders for these men 

A. The watch money ? 

Chairman. No. 

Q. The bounty ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Who did ? 

A. Angeil. I have wrote some. 

Q. These men could not all read and write, could they ? 

A. No, sir ; but the orders would be read to them. 

Q. Were they read to them in all cases ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did they know what the orders were ? 



160 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. Yes, sir ; after they were read to them. 

Q. Wlio read the orders to them ? 

A. Nat Angell, and sometimes myself. 

Q. You always read them just as they were written ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you known of any men who complained of being de- 
ceived about the amount of their orders ? 
A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you visited any of the men in camp ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Any complaints made ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you been in Engley's office, here ? 

A. No, sir. 

WILLIAM HILL— RECALLED. 

I was at Harrisburg Depot, and saw a bill stating that the State of 
Rhode Island will pay a bounty of $250, and the Government $100, 
making a bounty of $3.50. It was endorsed at the bottom, Major 
Sanford. The m?«n is in the city, a colored man, now who had it at 
the time. His name is John Reeder. I would not be at all sur- 
prised if he had the document. 

TESTIMONY OF ROBERT FESSENDEN. 

I accompanied Nat, Angell to Paul Brez, in John St., New York, 
to purchase one dozen composite case cylinder and lever move- 
ment watches, at nine and a half dollars apiece by the dozen. The 
ordinary retail price was about sixteen dollars — so Mr. Brez told me. 
We circulated also, bills offering three hundred dollars bounty, as by 
the Governor of Rhode Island's proclamation, in Washington, Balti- 
more, Cincinnati, Poughkeepsie, New York, Albany, Cleveland, Buffa- 
lo, and Wilmington, Del. These were printed in New York. I saw a 
bill that Engle^-'s agent had — an old fellow showed me one of the bills 
and showed me the form he had attached — so that colored men consid- 
ered themselves enlisted right on the spot, that we, the undersigned, 
agree to enlist for two hundred and fifty dollars. That was in Buf- 
falo. I have not seen the handbill since ; he said it was out of print — 
the same to agree with this form. 

Q. Where were they printed ? 

A. I do not know. He had that agreement printed after he got 
to Buffalo. He went there to take charge of the recruiting for Major 
Engley, and he stopped at the Bonney House. 

TESTIMONY OF HUGH B. BROWN. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 
Question. What is your name ? 
Answer. Hugh B. Brown, of Orange, New Jersey. 
Q. Have you been connected with the recruiting business for this 
State ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 151 

A. I have. I recruited one hundred and fifty men for the 14th 
R. I., or about that. 

Q. By whom Avere you employed ? 

A. Employed by Major Engley. 

Q. Where did you recruit the men? 

A. I recruited them chiefly in Central New York — some as far 
as St. Louis. 

Q. Were you employed by Engley by the day? 

A. No, sir ; it Avas a partnership relation ; I made arrangements 
with Major Engley for the State of New York, last August. He 
made a proposition to me to go into Central New York to recruit 
men on these conditions : I was to furnish half the capital, and he 
furnish the other half, and the State allowed me f50 of the bounty 
of the men, and that that $50 Avould be divided between us after 
deducting the expense of recruiting, and that this arrangement was 
done with the consent and knowledge of the Governor of the State. 

Q. How was the head money to be divided ? 

A. He never said anything to me about it. I afterwards ascer-^ 
tained that there was head money, but he never said anything to me, 
and I ought to have been entitled to half but he never said anything 
about it. 

Q. Your contract was to take one half of all you received. 

A. What he stated he received was to be this fifty dollars. I was to 
furnish all the recruiting expenses, and all other expenses to the 
city of New York or Albany, and he gave me transportation from 
the city of New York or Albany, to Providence, and he paid the 
expenses back of all those that did not pass. That was his part of 
the capital although I always furnished tAvo-thirds of it. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. What kind of transportation did he fur- 
nish you ? 

A. He gave me an order on the agents of different Companies 
and one that stated that I was in his employ. 

Q. He gave you his order ? 

A, He did. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did his name appear as official? 

A. He gave me his name as Major Engley. I have no document 
authorizing transportation. I have a document authorizing me to 
act in that capacity, and that was the AA'ay he signed it. 

Q. When you found any men did they sign any contract with 
you? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did he give you any orders for any payment of the bounty ? 

A. No, sir. I never did business in that Avay. 

Q. How did you arrange it ? 

A. At first I simply issued a handbill, stating that the bounty was 
$2/)0, and that they would get tAventy-fiA-e dollars of that down ; 
seventy-five dollars Avhen mustered in, and the balance Avhen ordered 
to the war. But afterAvards, I began to reflect that, that Avas hardly 
the fair thing notAvithstanding my orders. I afterwards said to the 



152 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

men, the bounty is $300, but you must allow us 850 to pay all the 
heavy expenses of recruiting which they were willing to do, and after 
that i adopted that plan. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Your orders were from Major Engley to ad- 
vertise that the State bounty was $250. 

A. To state that to the men. 

Q. Is that in written authority ? 

A. No, sir ; it was verbal. 

Q. Have you any copy of the handbills ? 

A. I have none with me ; I have plenty at home. I have issued 
two handbills. I have another that was issued in St. Louis. When 
in St. Louis, I had been there but a few days when I received a note 

from Major Engley, requiring my presence at the . I went 

there astonished to see him, and he said he had come on to see 
about matters generally, and get things straight, and among others 
he called my attention to that $50 to be deducted from the men's 
bounty to pay expenses. He said it did not leave margin enough for 
all concerned, where we went so far for them, and that I should have 
to issue another handbill, and come down with the bounty a little 
lower- Well, I said, I thought it was rather hard to take any more 
from the men than $50 — it ought to be enough. He said, no, there 
were two reasons why it ought to be cut down a little lower ; one was, 
there was Major Sanford that had not made anything yet out of the 
recruiting, and it was high time he came in for a little benefit, and 
that we ought to get more from the men in order to leave the margin 
large enough for him to share. Well, I said, it was rather too bad to 
take any more from the bounty ; but if it was actually necessary to 
do so, I was under his order. I said I understood the bounty was 
$310. I said issue an order for $100, and it would leave $210. I 
said let's make it $225 — don't take so much. He said no, that would 
not do, to make it as he told me. I soon had a handbill — copies 
of which I have in my carpet bag. 

Q. Can you furnish us copies ? 

A. I can when I get home. 

Q. I wish you would do so ? Did you post up a number of these 
handbills ? 

A. I issued them there, not in any great quantities because I 
found that Major Scholfield had issued an order forbidding recruiting, 
and I gave them to Bishop Green and my agents in drinking saloons 
and other places whore I could make use of them. 

Q. Diayou make any private contract with the men ? 

A. I only succeeded in getting two men, on account of the strin- 
gency of the regulations — these were two who had the bounty on 
the handbill. 

Q. Did they sign any paper? 

A. They did not sign any ; when they came here all the men 
signed a paper. I do not mean that Engley required them to sign a 
paper, saying that they would receive so much for their bounty — 
they always did it. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 163 

Q. You never took any paper of that kind ? 

A. I never did at all. 

Q. These men you took in St. Louis — these two men were not 
correctly informed as to the amount of the State bounty? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Could you get any more men when tliey were so informed 
that the bounty was $300. Did the men volunteer any more readily 
when they understood it was $250 ? 

A. I did not perceive any difference. It made a vast difference 
when I came to camp ; there was no complaining or hard words if 
they knew the facts. 

Q. You have been in the camp ? 

A. Always when I came on with them. 

Q. Have you heard such complaints ? 

A. When I was in at one time, and they had found out that the 
bounty was $300, they thought they had not been fiirly dealt with. 

Q. Has there been any difficulty between you and Major Engley ? 

A. No difficulty, any lurther than in a settlement ; he attempted 
to wrong me out of my just dues, and I cannot get a settlement. 

Q. Have you known of any instance where Major Engley has 
taken more from the men than what you agreed with them for ? 

A. I only know of one instance; one of the men 1 brought on 
from St. Louis, he said to the man, " now," said he, " Brown has been 
to a great deal of trouble for you, and brought you a long distance, 
and you ought to do the fair thing by him." Said he, " I will." 
" What will you give him," said he. " I will give him $10." He 
drew up an order for that amount, and kept the order (and that's the 
last I ever saw of him) and made him sign it. 

Q. The hundred dollars was taken out of his bounty besides ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you come on yourself with all the men you recruited? 

A. Not always ; sometimes I sent them through by a sergeant. 

Q. What do you mean by a sergeant ? 

A. Well, he allowed me to select any of the men I had recruited 
after they came down and put on the uniform, to work as our agents 
in the partnership relation — as many as I wanted. » 

Q. You have not yet settled with Major Eugley ? 

A. No, sir; I called upon him to-day for the third time for a set- 
tlement, and I saw he was not disposed to do what was right, and I 
asked him to go with me and lay the matter before the Governor, and 
my papers and receipts are now before the Governor, and he told me 
I might call in a couple of hours, and he would tell me what he 
thought was right. I agreed to leave it on one particular point to 
tlie decision of the Governor, and he was to take that into considera- 
tion this afternoon, and give me an answer. I have a succinct state- 
ment of my difficulty with Major Engley. If it is the request of the 
committee, I will read it, it was heard before the Governor. 

Q. You were Major Engley's agent. 

A. Yes, sir. (Produces and reads.) 

20 



154 REPORT OF THE FTNANCE COMMITTEE 

St. Louis, Oct. 31, 1863. 
This certifies that Hugh B. Brown is appointed agent and super- 
intendent of recruiting in the State of Missouri, for the Fourteenth 
R. I. H. A., the said Brown having no authority to enhst men in the 
State of Missouri, but merely to forward them to Rhode Island, in 
such a manner as not to conflict with the laws of Missouri. 
(Signed) J. C. ENGLEY, 

Major, Fourteenth Regiment, &c. 

(Reads). On or about the 2d of October, I was requested by 
Major Engley (Sanford) to leave the recruiting field in central New 
York, and proceed to St. Louis, to superintend recruiting there. I 
demurred, but finally consented, if he would allow me to keep posses- 
sion of my field in central New York. To this Engley replied, I can- 
not grant the request, as some official information has reached me that 
recruiting in New York ought to be stopped immediately. I will 
send the agent to get down all the men they have, and you will order 
to camp all the sergeants. I went to St. Louis, and that mission hav- 
ing failed, owing to the order of Gen, Schofield, I returned to New 
York and found recruiting going on in the old field, the same as when 
I left it. I learned further, that Major Engley, after I left, sent up 
his agents to occupy the field. Mr. , one of the agents, pro- 
ceeded immediately to the residence of David H. Hay, my head- 
agent, and said to him that I had left the field, and that he had been 
sent to take my place. He then procures a list of my men from all 
my agents, into his hands. On my return to Providence, I remon- 
strated with Major Engley, that this was something like a want of 
faith on his part, and he defended himself by saying that things took 
a little different turn after I Ifeft, and then desired me to go to Ohio, 
and procure contrabands at 850 bounty ; the remainder to be shared 
by all the parties concerned. 

Q. Who are all the parties concerned ? 

A. Well, he did not then state whether Major Sanford was to be 
one of the parties, or not ; myself and him were ; and from what he 
said in St. Louis, I inferred that ^lajor Sanford was one. I do not 
think he mentioned his name at that time. I might remark here, that 
this he SEud was with the approbation of the Governor, though I 
would not touch it without that assurance. This he in part con- 
sented to do, and I went back to New York, to make the necessary 
arrangements for leaving the field in charge of a competent man, but 
after waiting ten days, I saw no signs of his complying with the 
agreement ; his agents still continued in the field after the repeated 
assurance that no man should be permitted to interfere with me in 
that field. It becoming plain that he did not intend to keep faith 
with me, I concluded to leave his service which I have accordingly 
done. In the first place, I claim that the agents in Central New 
York, were in my employ, and with my money in their hands, and in 
consequence I am entitled to all the money earned by them, just the 
same as if I employed them in some other business ; for the agfeement 
was that they should have money on my account to bring down the 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 155 

men. Nor does the fact ot their continuing longer in the field, alter 
the case. He did not discharge them, nor did thej, nor he, notify 
me of transfer of service. Of course, 1 am willing to allow all just 
claims of money — advancing money to said agents. 

Respectfully submitted, &c 

Q. Who are the parties among whom this money has been divided? 

A. Myself and Major Engley, so far as my contract is concerned. 
We wei'e all the parties, and I only inferred from what he said to me 
in St. Louis, that Major Sanford was another ; I cannot say positively 
that it was so. 

Q. Have you taken one-half of the profits ? 

A. After paying expenses that I advanced — one-half of $50. 

Q. Have you known of watches and other goods being sold to 
these recruits ? 

A. Yes, sir; I know what was done. 

Q. By whom ? 

A. I think as near as I can remember, it was done by a sergeant 
in the employ of Major Engley, in or about his office — one of his 
employees. 

Q. Did Major Engley know it ? 

A. Not that I know of 

Q. Had he any connection with them, that vou know of? 

A. No. 

Q. It was done in his office, was it ? 

A. Well, in or about it. These men that were employed in dif- 
ferent ways coming in contact with the men. 

Q. What was the quality ? 

A. Such as I have seen, Avere worth from a dollar to five dollars. 

Q, By Mr. Thomas. What did they get them for ? 

A. From $18 to |25. 

Q. Do you know the names of any of the parties who sold these 
watches ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you know Mr. Sheldon that is about the office ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know if he sold any ? ^ 

A. I do not. 

Q. How did they take pay ? 

A. I do not know, I never saw a sale ; I only know that the men 
got the watches, and I think I have seen them in the hands of the 
parties. 

Q. You don't know to whom the orders were given or were pay- 
able ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. I think you stated the number of men you recruited ? 

A. About two hundred and fifty men. 

Q. How many men that you furnished were rejected and sent 
back ? 



156 REPORT or THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. I could not answer that question. I could not tell about what 
per cent. I think it is — I should say about 10 per cent. 

Q. Who paid their expenses on returning home ? 

A. That was part of the duty of Major Engley, and part of the 
afTveement, and the part of the ca))ital he was to furnish, and he 
always brought in his bill for it ; and in one or two instances he al- 
leged to have sent back men which were not sent back ; but that 
might have been a mistake. 

Q. Do you know whether, in fact, he did pay the expenses of 
these men back? 

A. I do not know that ; I have his statement for it. 

Q. Do you know how he obtained transportation for these retui'ned 
men ? 

A. No ; I know hovv he arranged transportation for the men in 
St. Louis. 

Q. How was that? 

A. In the first place he made a deposit of $500, and then ; that 
was with a company in Chicago ; and then that order was nullified, 
and he made another arrangement with a Terre Haute company, for 
81T.50 per man, and gave me an order through to New York. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Do you think Major Engley lost any money 
by the men you got ? 

A. Lost! No, sir ; he made as much as $1,500, if not $2,000, 
judging from what I made, he ought to have made $2,000. 

TESTIMONY OF JAMES MOSELY. 

Saturday, February loth, 1864. 
[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Q. What is your name ? 

A. James Mosely. 

Q. Where do you live? 

A. In the State of Ohio. 

Q. What town ? 

A. Xenia. I live there ; it will be nearly three weeks now since 
I left. 

Q. W^ho asked you to come here ? 

A. It was a colored man, a recruiting officer that got me to enlist. 

Q. What was his name ? 

A. His name was Allen C. Freeman. 

Q. Did you come to enlist in the Fourteenth Regiment ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I did. 

Q. What did he promise you ? 

A. He promised me $302. 

Q. Did he pay your expenses here ? 

A. No, sir; he did not. He took me to Zanesville, Ohio. He 
had a dispatch from Major Condor, and he took me to Cleveland. 

Q. Who ? 

A. Condor, they called him. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 157 

Q. Did Major Conclor pay your expenses to Cleveland ? 

A. Yes, sir ; he did ; and Capt. Fuller paid mj expenses from 
Cleveland to this place. 

Q. Capt. Fuller ? 

A. Yes, sir ; he is a man recruiting for the Fourteenth R. I. 
H. A. 

Q. Capt. Fuller, at Cleveland, paid your expenses to New York ? 

A. Capt. Fuller, at Cleveland, paid my way to this place, 
Providence. 

Q. When you arrived here, what did you do and where did 
you go ? 

A. I went to the office, where they examined the recruits, and 
the doctor examined me there. 

Q. Do you know Major Engley ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not. 

Q. Did you ever see him ? 

A. No, sir ; I never did see him. 

Q. What did the doctor tell you ? 

A. He told me he could not pass me. 

Q. Who was the doctor ? 

A. I do not know him, sir. He is a very fat man — pretty large 
man. 

Q. After you were rejected by the doctor, Avhat did you do ? 

A. Capt. Fuller got me to go and stay with Mr. Ballon a while. 

Q. Did Capt. Fuller come on with you ? 

A. He came from Cleveland, Ohio, with me. After I was reject- 
ed by the doctor, I went to stay with Capt. Fuller, to see whethei I 
could go out with the captain, to wait on him as his servant ; but if 
he did not go out but resigned, perhaps he would want me to stay 
with him awhile. If I wanted to go back home, he told me he would 
pay my wa}^ back. 

Q. Do you want to go back ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I do. 

Q. Have you been to the captain to ask him ? 

A. I have not seen him. 

Q. Did you go anywhere and ask? 

A. I went over to the other office — it was where I was examined. 

Q. What did they tell you ? 

A. They told me I could not do it — could not pay my way back. 

Q. What did you tell them? 

A. Then they asked me would I 'list, I told them they objected 
to me at first, and it was no use to try. Major Engley said that cap- 
tain Fuller was captured by the rebels, and told me I had better enlist. 

Q. They told you that captain Fuller was captured by the rebels? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did captain Fuller promise to pay your expenses back? 

A. Yes, sir; he did. 

Q. And if you were accepted you were to have $302 ? 

A. Yes, sir; if I was accepted. 



168 REPOKT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE * 

Q. Did you agree to pay him any part of your bounty ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not. 

Q. How did you understand he was to be paid for paying your 
expenses ? 

A. I thought it was Hke all other recruits — he was to pay ail ex- 
penses back to this place, and if they did not pass, pay their way 
back again — that is what I understood. 

Q. You have never had anything to do with Major Engley? 

A. No, sir ; I never did see him ; they told me they would tell 
me afterwards. 

Q. They told you at this office ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

TESTIMONY OF M^JOR J. C. ENGLEY. 

Wednesday, February 10, 1864. 
(Examined by the Chairman.) 

Question. Where do you reside ? 

Answer. In Providence. 

Q. How long have you been a resident of Providence ? 

A. About a year and a half. 

Q. Have you been connected with the recruiting business in this 
State ? 

A. I have, air. 

Q. How long a time ? 

A. Most of the time that I have been here. 

Q. In what capacity ? 

A. All the way from private to the position I now hold as major. 

Q. You have now a comriiission as major ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In what regiment ? 

A. Fourteenth colored. 

Q. You have been mustered in ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Have yovi been recruiting in this State since the commence- 
ment of the formation of the 14th regiment ? 

A. I have, since they commenced to fill it as a regiment. I com- 
menced at the time the first company M'as about full. I believe, sir, 
— company A, and then it was decided to raise a battalion. 

Q. Did you receive your commission at that time, as major ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. By whom were you appointed to recruit, or authorized, or is 
there not any special authority required ? 

A. I have no written order ; I was ordered by the Governor in 
the first instance. 

Q. Appointed by the Governor ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. For this regiment, or for any regiment ? 

A. More particularly for this regiment, with authority to receive 
recruits for any regiment. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 159 

Q. What were your instructions, if any, from the Governor in 
regard to this regiment ? 

A. I was ordered to report for instructions to Major S. P. San- 
ford, whose instruction I .was to follow with that of the Governor. 

Q. When did you first commence Avorking for this regiment ? 

A. I can hardly give you the date. I think it was about the last 
of August or the firstof September, somewhere about that time. I 
cannot give you the exact date, without referring to papers. 

Q. Was it sometime after the regiment began to be filled up? 

A. It was at the time, as I said before, when company A was 
about full — nearly full, not quite. 

Q. You did not do much for that company ? 

A. Not much. No, sir. 

Q. Did you recruit any men for that company ? 

A. Indirectly, not directly, I furnished money for parties that did. 

Q. What parties ? 

A. I furnished to Lieut. Grabner. This company was the first 
company of the regiment. 

Q. What is your connection with Grabner ? you say you furnished 
him money. Was it a private arrangement between you and him ? 

A. Yes, sir ; my object was, principally, to help off the company. 

Q. Was he an authorized recruiting officer ? 

A; Yes, sir. 

Q. State what you did in connection with him ? 

A. I furnished him something like a hundred dollars to get re- 
cruits, and he promised that he would refund the money as soon as he 
brought the recruits, and received the payment of the Quartermaster 
General, which payments he received, but he put the money into his 
own pocket. 

Q. Was that a partnership, or simply a loan of money ? 

A. Simply a loan of money. 

Q. He simply paid back the money he borrowed, you did not 
share any profits of the enterprise ? 

A. No, sir ; he did not pay ; he put it on the ground that he had 
done service enough for me before ; I never found any fault with 
him. 

Q. After your connection with him, what did you do ; beginning 
with the first you had to do in recruiting for the 14th Regiment ? 

A. The first thing I did was to start for New York myself. I 
went to New York, leaving here on Sabbath evening, and returning, 
left New York the next Tuesday evening, bringing with me forty- 
four recruits that I picked up in New York city during that time, 
thirty-seven of which passed examination. 

Q. Was there any arrangement made with the Governor as to 
the amount which you were to receive ? 

A. Yes, sir ; what was allowed by the Quartermaster General — 
simply the head money, that is all, sir. 

Q. Was any transportation furnished you ? 

A. No transportation was furnished. I meant to say that thirty- 
seven only passed the surgeon's examination. 



160 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Did you get any subsistence money from the Quartermaster? 

A. No, sir ; not anything at all. I paid that out of my own 
pocket. I would like to say here, that that lot of forty-four men cost 
me $25 each, and I got only $12. 

Q. I wish you to explain how these men cost you $25, 

A. Well, sir; the first thing I did was to hire a team by the day. 
I had a poor idea of where the colox'ed people lived, I was acquainted 
with the business, but not acquainted with colored recruiting. I took 
this team, and took a colored man with me, and we went into Sulli- 
van and Thompson streets. A great many colored people live there. 
I found a room there, and got about half-a-dozen men, to whom I 
advanced $10 apiece, on the start, and told them what I wanted. 
The old saying is that the colored man always wants his money before 
his work is done. I then sent them out to recruit. I told them I 
would give them $10 apiece for all the recruits they brought in. 
Then their sul)sistence, and their subsistence on the boat, and their 
travelling expenses — on the average, it cost me $25 apiece. 

Q. Did I understand you correctly, that you left Sunday evening 
and returned Tuesday ? 

A. I left Tuesday night and arrived here Wednesday morning. 
In some cases I hud to leave money for their fiimilies. It was imme- 
diately aftel" the riot, and they were very destitute; some were nearly 
cleaned out. It was fortunate for recruiting, but very bad for the 
families For one man, I had to pay rent, or he would have been 
turned out of doors. His wife was well satisfied. 

Q. You paid $10 in advance ? 

A. I do not wish to be misunderstood there. We paid most of 
them $10 ; some of them only cost me $6. There were several 
headquarters. 

Q. I mean this squad. 

A. After I got the first few, I went right into Five Points, and 
they engaged to go ; some of them did not cost me but $6. 

Q. You did not pay all of this squad $10 ? 

A. These were the usual prices, $10 and $6, I did not recollect 
at first. A part of them cost $10 and a part $6. 

Q. Didn't you make any written contract with these men ? 

A. I made, I drew up a paper, stating the bounty to be paid by 
the State, and some other points, and they signed it or made their 
marks. 

Q. Was that paper returned to this office ? 

A, No, sir ; so far as there was no reduction of these bounties, 
there was no necessity. 

Q. But, have you received nothing from the State? 

A. No, sir ; except the $10. 

Q. Were you alone in this enterprise, or was somebody with you? 

A. I Avas alone ; it being my business ; I had done a great deal 
of it; I was urged to take hold of it at this time. Major Sanford 
recommended me to the Governor, and then he was anxious that I 
should go to work. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 161 

Q. Is there any arrangement between Major Sanford and your- 
self, by which you are in an}' way to divide the profits of this business? 

A. I will tell you. There was an understanding, and it was with 
another man ; it was Chaplain Perry. I said nothing of the fact, 
because he took no active part. He starled for New York, and agreed 
to meet me at the train and go together and take part; I went to the 
train and he was not at the depot, and when I came back he was dis- 
satisfied with the expenses, which exceeded the profits, and I did not 
exchange any words Avith him ; he did not like it, and did not take 
hold with me. 

Q. Do you mean, Major Engley, that the subsistence of these 
men from Sunday evening until Tuesday evening cost you $15 apiece ? 

A. No, sir ; I meant to say the subsistence, liire of teams, and my 
own expenses there, and the money I left with the families, and what 
I paid the men as head-money, for bringing recruits, amounted in the 
aggregate to $25 per head. 

Q. Do you mean to say that you paid money to the families be- 
sides what you paid to the men ? 

A. Yes, sir ; in a great many cases. 

Q. What was your object in paying more than you got for these 
men ? 

A. I wanted to induce the Governor to raise a regiment. He 
was not decided. I worked, and wanted to show what could be done 
with this view. 

Q. Well, after returning with that squad, please go on and tell 
what you did next. 

A. I do not know as I can g-o on and tell. 

Q. State whether, after reporting, you had an understanding with 
the Governor, and he agreed to pay you more per head. 

A. No, sir ; not for some time. I went back to New York with 
five or six of these men and tried to induce their friends to go. 

Q. Seven of these men were rejected, what became of them ? 

A. The Governor required of me that I should send back the re- 
jected men at my expense. 

Q. And you did so ? 

A. Yes, sir. I did not think of that in connection with the $25. 
I made up my account on the way between New York and here. 

Q. In sending back these men, are you obliged to pay ordinary 
rates ? 

A. I get them at military rates. . 

Q. What are those rates ? 

A. $3 ; and I gave them half-a-dollar apiece to get their suppers 
with, and that made, on the seven men, for whom I was liable to a 
certain extent, a cost of $S 50 each. 

Q. And you lost on these men ; how much ? 

A. You can figure it. They cost me with transportation and 
back, 825 50 apiece, and a little over, reckoning the transportation on 
the rejected men. > 



162 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Did you mean to say that these forty-four men cost you 
$25,50 each, or the thirty seven men. 

A. Well, it made no difference ; I left money with the families ; 
I treated them the same in every respect as if they had passed. I 
could not tell which would be passed. 

Q. Then you spent |25 each on the entire squad ? Who receives 
this 12 by the United States ? 

A. I receive it on these men. I 

Q. This comes to you ? 

A. The reason I have not collected it is that Capt. Silvey's very 
nice. I waited to get the General's rolls, because the men, he allows, 
I can only collect on the General's muster. 

Q. Who pays this 12. 

A. It is paid by Capt. Wm. Silvey, U. S. Mustering Officer. It 
comes out of the General Government. 

Q. I understand from the remark you made before, that you re- 
ceived it from the Paymaster of the State ? 

A. No, sir ; I made a remark that I waited for the rolls, to take 
a copy of the Paymaster's rolls, so as to get the precise number he 
had mustered. 

Q. You were going on to state that notwithstanding your losses, 
you immediately returned to New York ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And were still by yourself — had no partner? 

A. No partner, sir, at all. 

Q. You took on some of these men to assist you ? 

A. Yes, su'. 

Q. Were you furnished, you and your agents with transportation ? 

A. We were. Yes, sir. 

Q. By whom. 

A. Major Sanford is agent for the State, and has charge for fur- 
nishing transportation by the State, of nearly all the regiments that 
arrive. 

Q. Please explain how that is done. Does he give an order on 
the Quartermaster ? 

A. No, sir. I have an order for myself, and they respect my or- 
der. Major Sanford gives an order to respect my order for whatever 
transportations I need. In the first case of men, he sent a special or- 
der to New York. He gave an order to Edwards to furnish transpor- 
tation for so many men, and it has usually been the case until 
I furnished men to such an extent, they trusted me to authorize my 
own transportation, as I required it. 

Q. On returning to New York what did you do ? 

A. I went through about the same process, with this exception; 
I will state that on the first squad I might have got them for |12. 
By taking more time I could have got them together, but I wanted to 
get them together quick. When I went back I intended to have the 
$12 cover, which in most cases it did. 

Q. How much time did you spend in this second expedition ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 163 

A. I was only there a few days, when I came on with a second 
squad of men, and I went on there several times. 

Q. Can you tell anything about the number ? 

A. I cannot tell you, except the first, because they were raised 
under peculiar circumstances. 

Q. What did you receive for these men ? 

A. The same as before. 

Q. You took nothing from the men ? 

A. Nothing from the bounty, sir, at all. 

Q. Have these men been paid their full bounty ? 

A. Yes, sir ; these men were in Company B, their checks were 
made off for the full amount. I will state myself, ]iersonally, that I 
have enlisted a man from New York city and not deducted any thing 
at all from his bounty. A man from New York city has had his full 
bounty, the full amount of $300, because the expense of getting them 
is but trifling. (To Mr. Blake.) I should think I had enlisted in that 
way — Mr. Downing finally assisted me there — ? should think in that 
way at that time, I enlisted about 200 men while I was there myself 
and had agents there. I was there a part of the time and part of the 
time here. (To Mr. Blake.) That covers all I have done personally 
except what was done by other agents. I will state now, that Mr. 
Ballon was at another office. 

Q. By the Chairman. And was not in connection with you? 

A. Not at all, sir. 

Q. Well, these men that you enlisted yourself, in New York, you 
and your agents, — what was the cost of these men ? 

A. I should say, sir, that what we received here, the $12 would 
just about cover the cost of these men for recruiting them. 

Q. You have not yet received enough to cover your expenses. 

A. I should think out of those two hundred men, the $12 would 
just about cover my expenses — that is, reckoning in the $25, and in- 
cluding the $2 to be received from the United States government. 

Q. How many men had you recruited previous to the time you 
were connected with Ballon ? 

A. About two hundred. 

Q. Ballon was then a recruiting agent in New York ? 

A. He was connected with it in some way, I don't know how, 
with Mr. Helme, who recruited most of Co. A, and commenced re- 
cruiting before I took hold of it. 

Q. Did he have an office there ? 

A. He did, sir. 

Q. What was the arrangement you made with Ballou ? 

A. I will state first, the reason. There arose quite a competition 
between the two offices. Some of his agents complained that I was 
paying more than he was. I oftentimes had a number of men on my 
roll, that his agents would get, and finally we talked over the thing 
and consolidated. I agreed to give up my business in New York, 
and retain the business here, and we would share the profits and 
divide the expenses and losses. 



164 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. From that time you remained here in Providence and he in 
New, York ? 

A. Not a'l the time. I was travellino; t]irono;h the Western 
States part of the time. My reasons for giving up New York were, 
that I had worked it pretty well, and there was a chance to work 
more, but I wanted to extend the field. 

Q. How long did Ballon remain in New York after uniting with 
you? 

A. Well, I don't know, sir ; but he is there now ; but not for this 
regiment. 

Q. I am only speaking of him as connected with you. 

A. During that period that he remained in New York, he made 
his headquarters in New York, and sent his agents out to get men 
wherever he chose. 

Q. Can you state how many men you and Ballon secured in 
New York ? 

A. Well, sir; we got them from various places ; his headquarters 
were there ; but his men were recruited, most of them, outside of 
New York ; I could not get at it exactly ; but I should say between 
three hundred and four hundred. 

Q. Does that cover the whole number? 

A. Yes, sir ; I should say about three or four hundred ; I should 
say it would be four hundred. Ballon has had a great many agents. 

Q. Do you recollect what time it was that you and Ballon were 
together ? 

A. It would be impossible for me to give the dates ; I think it 
was about three weeks after I commenced recruiting. It was quite 
early. It was sometime before the first battalion was formed ; I re- 
member that very well. 

Q. Up to that time, you did not receive anything from the men 
except the 110 ? 

A. That's all, sir. 

Q. Was there any different arrangement made after you united 
with him ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You continued at the same prices ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Taking only the $10 head money ? 

A. Yes, sir; the $2 being due. 

Q. How long did you continue to do business in that way — under 
that arrangement ? 

A. Well, sir, it was, I think, until the last of September — some- 
where near the last of September. 

Q. Some weelss? 

A. I should think it was not over ten days. It is impossible for 
me to give the dates exactly right. 

Q. During that time, did these men cost you more than you were 
getting for them, or less ? 



ON BOUI^TY FRAUDS. 165 

A. No, sir ; we made a small profit on the men we sent on, all 
the business we did together. We sustained some losses on some 
men, but none but what we made up. 

[At this point the chairman recalled Gen. Francis, and asked him 
a lew questions, which are written and attached to his previous tes- 
timony.] 

Major Engley was Recalled after Gen. Francis had concluded, and 
the chairman proceeded with the examination. 

Q. I believe I was asking you about the business in connection 
with Ballou ; state the number of men enlisted by Ballou and your- 
self? 

A. I did state that there were about four hundred, as near as I 
could fix it. 

Q. How did the expense of these men, recruited by you and 
Ballou, compare w'ith the amount of money you received ? 

A. The men that Ballou and myself recruited together, that we 
received '|12 for, averaged $1 or $8, and we made 84 or $5 apiece. 

Q. Give us the grand total as near as you can ? 

A. I should think, on the four hundred, perhaps you could not 
call it '$5 each, we thought we could get them to cost not over $5, 
but could not. I S'hould say we made in the aggregate, $4 plump, 
on the whole number. Now, allow me to say one word ; you asked 
me how many Ballou and I recruited together, and I have said about 
four hundred ; I want to qualify that ; the amount of men recruited, 
that received the whole amount of bounty, ($300,) we made $4 
apiece. There were some men that we deducted $50, $25 or $100. 
I mean that $1 would cover the profit on those that received the full 
amount of bounty. 

Q. These men were obtained in New York city ? 

A. There, or elsewhere, wherever we could obtain them. Those 
that we paid the full bounty to, were obtained in New York city and 
New Jersey, or near by. 

Q. The transportation of these men between New York and 
Providence, did not cost you anything ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. The men that you received more upon, were obtained beyond 
New York ? 

A. Yes, sir. Either at Washington, Philadelphia, or the West- 
ern States — wherever we could get them, and I will not dispute but 
what there were cases when men was taken -out of the city, that was 
collected on ; but while I was there recruiting, my instructions were 
if a man belonged in New York, nothing should be deducted ; because 
the expenses were not enough to countenance taking anything. Bal- 
lou might have got such men. Where we deducted $50, $75, or 
$100 we had to pay all the expenses of getting the men. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. In this case where you say transportation 
did not cost — it cost some one ? 

A. It cost the State. 

Q. By the Chairman. Was transportation furnished from any 
point beyond New York city ? 



166 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. No, sir. 

Q. To your knowledge, has there been any man of all the men 
you have recruited, who understood the State bounty to be less than 
three hundred dollars. 

A. I do not know of any case. 

Q. Have you heard of any case ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you known of any recruits expressing any disappoint- 
ment or dissatisfaction at the amount of bounty which he agreed to 
enlist for ? 

A. Only in such cases as were provided by the Governor to rec- 
tify, amountiug to 8481 or $186. With that exception, and a few 
other exceptions, which we made ri^ht, there is nothing that stauds 
now due the recruits. These cases have not yet been rectified. They 
are to be^paid to the man on his getting to the army. 

Q. Refunded by you ? 

A. It is refunded by me ; not that we think the amount is due, 
but through some misunderstanding — taking advantage. This dissat- 
isfaction is with my agents, and it has been made right, so that the 
whole regiment can go away satisfied. 

Q. Do you know how much this regiment has cost the State ? 

A. It has cost the State ^olO per man, and it only deducts from 
the men, taking them right through, 810. 

MAJOR J. C. ENGLEY— Recalled. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Q. Are you acquainted with Wm. Mercer, Co. E, Fourteenth 
Regiment, &c. ? 

A. I am. 

Q. When did you first see him? 

A. About September 1st, 1863. 

Q. State how you came to be acquainted with him. 

A. Well, sir, I went west on a recruiting expedition ; that is I 
went to establish agencies throughout the Western States, for recruit- 
ing for the Fourteenth Regiment. At Detroit, Michigan, I established 
an agency with a man by the name of A. J. Works, and while I was 
at Detroit, getting ready for business, we got up a squad of something 
like ten men, and among that squad was this Wm. Mercer. Our 
bills that we printed were for a bounty of 8250, they understanding 
that the rest was to be paid for transportation on here, and other ex- 
penses, and that in case they did not pass, they were to be sent back, 
free of any charge to them. After that, as was customary, in bring- 
ing new squads from any place, the first time, I sent back three men 
— three different men, to work in Michigan, and one of these three 
men was Wm. Mercer. 

Q. What was the agreement made with him ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 167 

A. I sent him to my agent, Capt. A. J. Works, — he was to re- 
port to him, and he would deal with him as the circumstances of the 
case would allow. I never told an agent what to pay one of these 
runners. They would pay the men which they employed, as they 
could judge better in the premises — better than I could at home. 

Q. You did not send him out recruiting ? 

A. No, sir ; I made no agreement to pay his expenses ; I made 
no agreement with him at all, sir ; but ordered him to report to A. J. 
Works. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. That was after he was brought here as a 
recruit ? 

A. That was after he was an enlisted man. 

Q. Didn't he come here before that? 

A. He came here and enlisted in September ; immediately after 
that he went back with other men — Ary and Whipple. 

Q. Did you pay his expenses back ? 

A. I did: 

Q. How much money did you let him have? 

A. I merely advanced, if I recollect, then, just enough to get his 
ticket, and advanced him enough to feed him on the way. I made 
no receipt of it, as I ordered him to report to the agent, and I ordered 
the agent to supply the men with funds — every agent to take care of 
his own men. I could not take care of the whole thing; if he found 
that a man was not suitable, he was to send him back. Soon after 
that I received a letter from Mr. Work, stating that Mercer was 
unfit for any service — he was a reckless kind of a fellow ; he had sent 
him on with a squad of men, and I had better keep him this way. 

Q. Mercer did come on with a squad of men ? 

A. Yes, sir ; ]\Ir. Fuller says, " I shall send Mercer Avith these 
men, and you must dispose of his case as you think best, only keep 
him there, he is no good here." The number of men, I think, was 
somewhere from six to ten ; I cannot say exactly, there were so 
many squads coming on. 

Q. By the Chairman. He states here that he returned to Provi- 
dence with five men ? 

A. Well, there might have been five men. 

Q. By the Chairman. For which he received no equivalent? 

A. He did not recruit any men — Mr, Fuller sent them — Mr. 
Fuller came with them himself as far as Buffalo, and sent them on in 
charge of a man, the same as he would by a sergeant. He (Mercer) 
had no more to do with recruiting them, then you did or I. As I am 
told he was of no use there. 

Q. Was there any money to be paid to him when he came on 
with this squad of men ? 

A. That, sir, I cannot say. Messrs. Works and Fuller could 
make their statements of the amount of money they furnished Mr. 
Mercer with while there. I have no means of telling. 

Q. It states in this deposition that he received nothing for five 
recruits, nor for travelling expenses (except for transportation) incui'- 
red, amounting to $24 50. 



168 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. Well, sir, I deny, as I said before, the recruiting of either of 
those men he came on with, and can bring you the testimony of Capt. 
Fuller, a man now in^the city. He will testify to that fact, and there 
are several other men who will testify to the same if you will send 
abroad for them. 

Q. By the Chairman. He goes on to say, " By the request of 
Engley, I again left Providence on recruiting service, visiting differ- 
ent parts of Indiana and Illinois." Did you send him out again ? 

A. I did, sir. He was here for sometime, and acted as orderly 
for me. He was a very gentlemanly well-dressed fellow, and would 
very often come to me and say, " Major, I want some money," and 
I would hand out -|5, $10 or $15, and I made no charge of it. I sup- 
pose I paid him $75 in that way ; in fxct, I know I have. 

Q. When you sent him out the second time, was there any agree- 
ment with him as to how much you should pay him ? 

A. Yes, sir. He said that if he could go a short distance beyond 
Chicago, Illinois, he could obtain thirteen men, that he knew were 
waiting there for him and a certain man. The other man's name 
was Smith — it may not be correct. He asked me to let him go sev- 
eral times, and I told him " No, I did not think best." Finally I told 
him plainly. I said, "Mercer, I do not know about trusting you. 
It will take $200, or something like that." He was a noble-hearted 
sort of follow, and said, " There were $175 due on his bounty," and, 
said he, " I will let that be responsible for it. If I don't use it as I 
ought, you will take it from my bounty." Said I, " Mercer, I will 
do this. I will pay you the balance of your bounty, $175. If you 
go out there, and get those men, and use the money rightly, I will 
pay you $10 apiece, and the $175 shall be yours, and I will refund all 
your expenses. There were two, and Mercer in charge of the busi- 
ness with the two. I advanced him the $175, which John N. Fran- 
cis has shown you to-night. He received a furlough of ten da^'s or 
two weeks, and was gone about six weeks. He did not write to me 
in the meantime, nor did he report to any of my agents ; there was 
one agent at Indianapolis, and another at Chicago, only a few miles 
away ; but he spent the money in gambling, and other ways Avhich I 
will not speak of. At that time he wore shoulder-straps, was dressed 
in full uniform, reporting that he was a lieutenant of the regiment. 
Dr. Delaney, of Chicago, a prominent colored man, was on here at 
that time, and spoke of Mercer ; said that he was carrying on at a 
great rate, and was injuring recruiting there, and that we ought to 
send and have him arrested, and have liim brought here. I told him 
he could send him on any errand — to send him rather than have him 
arrested — otherwise, to arrest him. He had been gone about one 
month, and I thought best to get him back. Shortly after this. Dr. 
Delaney wrote, " I have sent Mercer, without being obliged to ai'rest 
him, as he feels his importance owing to my iiaving put him in charge 
of three men." 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Tell who this Dr. Delaney was, and how 
you came to have men to send by him ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 169 

A. He was a man employed by me in recruiting. He had estab- 
lished an agency in Chicago, and had something like fifteen or twenty 
men employed by him in recruiting there. He was a very prominent 
colored man ; I think he has lectured in the city of Providence. Mer- 
cer came here, as I said, with these men; I had no talk with him ; I 
was satisfied myself; I knew he had spent the money as he ought 
not to, and it was intimated to me by several that he intended to de- 
sert ; therefore I did not make known my purpose of sending him to 
the Island, but I intended to do it at the first opportunity. I ordered 
Mr. Chace to have him sent to the Island, and he said to Mercer in 
this way, " there is a squad of men going down in the morning, and 
I want to send you in charge of them, and I want you to be here." 
His idea was to keep his eye on the man, knowing that he intended 
to escape if he could. He did not see anything of the said Mercer 
during the afternoon and in the evenincr, he wanted one of the ser- 
geants at the office to look for him, and told him to go and find him 
and bring him to the office; and, as it seems, he went to find him, and 
even obtained an officer fii'st — he was apparently a little afraid of 
Mercer — and, on that account, first secui'cd an officer and had him 
arrested. He (Mercer) was found in bed with a woman at a certain 
house, which was not his wife. He was taken out of bed, sir, and 
locked up in the barracks until morning, by one of Capt. Chadsey's 
officers, and Mr. Chace told him it was not his intention to have Mer- 
cer thus arrested, but merely sent a man to find him ; but instead of 
that, he was apparently afraid, and sent for an officer and had him 
arrested ; on that he was released and was sent down in charge of 
these men. Mr. Chace said to Col. Viall that Mercer intended to 
run away, and I asked him to keep him on the Island if he wished to 
keep him. The Colonel said he would do so. 

Q. He was not arrested by your order ? 

A. No, sir; nor by the order of any man connected with my office 
excepting the sergeant. 

Q. Did he have any home here in this city ? 

A. No, sir; not to my knowledge. I paid his board at Mr. 
Gainsley's on Benevolent street. 

Q. Is that the place where he was arrested? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You paid his board, did you ? 

A, Yes, sir ; about one week. A short time after that, he came 
up from the Island with a pass from the captain of his company, and 
came into the office, or rather I met him at the door, and he asked of 
me — said he, " I want a settlement of the account." I walked into 
the office with him, and they told me there, at the office, that he had 
used very improper and insulting language about me indeed. I took 
no notice of it, but asked on what ground he asked for a settlement 
of his account. He said, on the ground that he had used one hun- 
dred dollars in my service. I told him that, I had understood that he 
had not spent anything in my service, but in a manner which was 
improper. I refused to settle any account, as I had stated to him, ancj 
he well knew he had spent the money for himself. 

22' 



170 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Did he leave his account Avith you ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you any copy. 

A. No, sir ; he did not leave any account, he sent his account ; 
his letter contains the account. (Reads,) " The account of Wm. 
Mercer, written at Camp Smith :" 

" Providence, R. I., Nov. 13th, 1863. 

Rec'd of Major J. C. Engley, Fourteenth Regiment, &c., 

$175, to be used tor recruiting men in the Fourteenth Regiment, 
R. I., &c., and if not properly used, to be deducted from my bounty," 
and then he goes on with the items of the account. It amounts in all 
to $101 65. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. That is professedly his expenses on that trip ? 

A. No, sir ; his expenses on his own trip which he made. It was 
no profit to me. He did not work, when he went there ; but went to 
gambling, and spending money very foolishly indeed. 

Q. Is that the only account he rendered to you ? 

A. Yes, sir; except the accounts previously settled. That is the 
only account he will claim. This was the last trip. 

Chairman. He says he went up to Providence with a pass, signed 
by his captain, and approved by the colonel and adjutant, and he speaks 
of coming in three times with recruits. He came with five the first 
time, and then went back. He brought five more the second time, 
which he forwarded to Providence and delivered over to Major Eng- 
ley, presenting his bill for the same, which also included $8 for ex- 
penses ; but he received no money, Mr. Engley alleging that he had 
none on hand. On the next trip for recruits, he was to receive $10 
a man, and all expenses paid. He secured eight recruits, and was 
at an expense of $27 40, besides numerous small items. On this 
trip, he was arrested for recruiting in Illinois, and subjected to a fine 
of $16 40, and on returning to Providence, he requested a settlement 
of Major Engley, and he was told by Engley to come to his office the 
next day, and he would settle with him. He went to Engley's office 
as directed, about eight o'clock in the morning, and stayed there until 
three or four o'clock in the afternoon. Not being well, and with the 
permission of Mr. Sheldon, clerk to Mr. Engley, he went to his home 
and went to bed. About twelve o'clock that night, one of the Pro- 
vost Marshal's deputies arrested him, as he said, at the order of said 
Engley, and was taken to the Park Barracks, and confined until the 
next morning. He was taken to the Provost Marshal's, and informed 
that he had been arrested by the order of Engley, who pretended to 
be fearful that he might desert. On learning the facts the Provost 
Marshal immediately released him, and gave him liberty to go where 
he pleased. The same day he returned to his company on Dutch 
Island. A few weeks subsequently he went up to Providence, with 
a pass signed by his captain and approved by his colonel and adjutant, 
with the intention of settling with Mr. Engley. On requesting a set- 
tlement, said Engley demanded to see his pass, and, on its being 
shown to him, put it into his own pocket, and ordered his clerk, Mr. 
Sheldon, to put him (that is, Mercer,) under arrest, until the next 



\ 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 171 

Moncjay, it then being Saturday, when he should be returned to the 
Island. He was, however, released from arrest by Mr. Dorrance, at 
that time acting as commissary for the regiment. He gave him a 
pass and returned him to the camp. 

Q. How about that ? 

A. Well, sir ; there is once in a while an item that is correct ; 
but taking the whole thing together, it is false, the whole statement. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Will you not state about the third trip he 
speaks of? 

A. Well, I had so many men ; I did not take them all into ac- 
count, perhaps, I should not feel safe in saying that he did not come 
on three times ; if he came on three times, it Avas in the same manner 
as before, and for the same purpose — to bring men. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You testify that he never recruited a man? 

A. Yes, sir ; he never recruited a man. 

Q. About the pass ? 

A. Col. Viall said he would keep him in camp. I want it under- 
stood that I did not command ; but Mr. Chace asked him for me, if 
he would keep him there ; I had some idea that he would probably 
run away if permitted to come here again, and he (Col. V.) said he 
would do it. A short time after he came up with that pass ; a con- 
versation ensued, that I gave in my testimony before ; I refusing to 
settle the account as he had not used the money in a proper manner, 
and as the understanding was that the money was his, and I was not 
to pay him for expenses, except that he used it in recruiting which he 
did not do. I then said to Mr. Mercer, " why are you up here 
again ?" He said he had a pass from the captain there, and I looked 
at the pass and told Mr. Chace — he says Mr. Sheldon — to take him 
to Mr. Dorrance at the hall, and say to Mr. Dorrance, that that man 
was to be delivered to the Island, and to return his pass to me ; he 
took him over there. The pass is in the office now, and the pass was 
not approved by the Colonel, and I think not by the Adjutant. If 
the pass had been approved by the Colonel, and signed by the Colonel, 
I should never have taken it away. The Captain and Adjutant are 
my inferior officers, and I have a perfect right to take away any pass 
that they give ; that is the authority. The Colonel was absent at that 
time, and he was not at the island, and I suppose the pass was not 
intended to be given by him, but was probably given by his Captain, 
without knowing that there was danger of his deserting. I felt it my 
duty, and I stated the fact to Col. Bailey, and he said I did perfectly 
right, and I probably saved a man to the State. The man was not 
released by Mr. Dorrance, as he says— as he states there ; but was 
forwarded to camp as I ordered. 

Q. He says you have a valuable gold watch, that belongs to him ? 

A. In regard to the watch, sir ; I received the watch from him, 
which he said was a present to me from himself and certain other 
men coming from Detroit, Michigan, owing to my kindness to them 
and their families, I had advanced their families soYne money at 
home, and I had helped them in various ways and had given them 
transportation here ; and that watch he said, was a present to me in 



172 REPORT OF FINAKCE COMMITTEE 

token of their kindness and regard. I asked no further questions and 
he said he was appointed to present the watch, and I supposed it came 
from him and other members. I knew lie said, the watch was a pres- 
ent, and lie has said to others that it was a present to me. 

Q. Has he ever asked you for the watch ? 

A. No, sir ; he has never asked me for the watch, and he never 
would. 

Q. You have never refused to return it ? 

A. No, sir ; he can have the watch if he wants it. It is at his 
disposal, if he says it was loaned to me, or if he told me an untruth 
that he gave it to me himself. I do not wear the watch now. How- 
ever it may be, the watch is his, if he says so. 

Chairman. He refers to the disposal of the gold watch, and says, 
it has never been returned or any equivalent rendered therefor. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Are there any other parties that could tes- 
tify that he gave you the watch ? 

A. There was no one present. There was this set of men em- 
ployed by me in the office, and they w^ere spoken to as he having 
given me the watch ; I think two parties., and I mentioned to Major 
Sanford that I had received a present of a watch. I did not sup- 
pose that I was to be accused at some future time of stealing the 
watch. 

Q. He deposes that he has given to no person any order on his 
bounty, but believes that some one hundred and forty dollars must 
have lodged in the pocket of J. C Engley. 

A. I cannot help thinking that somebody else must have made 
those figures for him. I don't believe he understood that he was sign- 
ing such a document. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Can he write ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Can he read ? 

A. I suppose he cannot. 

Q. Have you taken any part of his bounty ? 

A. No, sir. I have not, except the fifty dollars less than three 
hundred for which he agreed to enlist. I received that. In fact I 
have not received anything from his bounty, for his bounty was to be 
two hundred and fifty dollars. I will make an exception of twenty- 
five dollars I advanced, which he did own — I advanced him that 
money, cash. 

Q. That fifty dollars of his bounty ; that was afterwards paid to 
you, was the profit on your part ? 

A. You can judge about that. The expense of recruiting men, 
and bringing them from Detroit, Michigan, comes out of that and all 
other expenses. 

Q. Don't you pay his expenses on these several trips that he made 
in the recruiting business ? 

A. Yes, sir ; his expenses out, I would pay. His return eSipenses 
of course belonged to the agent to whom he reported. 

Q. All of these expenses came out of you ; you paid them did 
not you ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 173 

A. Yes, sir ; they all eventually came out of me — that, they 
rendered in their accounts. 

Q. Do you know this Capt. J. M. Addeman ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Has he had any difficulty with you at all ? 

A. No, sir ; neA'^er, sir. 

Chairman reads a letter dated March 24th, 1864. " Lieut. -Col, 
Viall — Dear sir — I wish to lay before you the following statement of 
facts : I enlisted in the 14th Regt. &c., Nov. 12th,^1863, and on 
Nov. 24th, was detailed for recruiting service by Major J. C. Engley; 
(it is signed by James F. Jones,) he agreeing to pay me $10 for each 
recruit that passed the Surgeon at Providence, together with my 
traveling expenses and board, at the time Major Engley paid me $50^ 
taking a receipt for the same, as the first installment of my bounty. 
He said that the taking of the receipt would enable him to keep his 
books in better shape, and insure my faithfulness. He also told me 
to present such bills as were incurred on duty, to him at any time. 
He offered to pay me and let the receipt for fSO stand. This, as he 
said, I received ; he had the use of my money, which he said he 
would refund. Of the truth of this statement, Mr. Noyes will 
testify." 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Who is Mr. Noyes ? 

A. My book-keeper. 

Chairman. "This Mr. Engley has broken his agreement, and 
charged me $50, and positively refuses to pay me for five men that 
passed the Surgeon. The account stands thus : 

Major J. C. Engley, 

To James F. Jones, Dr. 

To cash paid for recruiting , $43 50 

To cash due for five recruits for the 14th Regt. &c., $10 each 60 00 

Total , $93 50 

All of which I respectfully submit, 

I have the honor to remain, &c., 

JAMES F. JONES, Co. M, 14th Regt. &c. 



Q 



Do you know this man ? 



A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Can he write.? 

A. I think so. 

Q. Where does he belong ? 

A. In Indiana. 

Q. Did you send him out to recruit ? 

A. No, sir ; he never was employed by me in recruiting, except 
as he was recruited by one Clifford A. Fuller, one of my agents. He 
was then stationed at Indianapolis, and forwarded here a squad of 
men, with a request from Fuller that Jones should be detailed to him 
for service. I made no agreement with Jones. I advanced him $50 
of his bounty, I think, and furnished him transportation to Indianapo- 
lis, and since then, sir, have had no dealings or communication with 
him, excepting when he reported here to go to his regiment. 



174 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Has he brought in any recruits ? 

A. He was used one or two trips in bringing men through, as in 
the case of Mercer. Whether he ever recruited a man, I cannot say. 

Q. When he brought them in, did he claim them as his ? 

A. They were brought from Mr. Fuller, or Capt. Connelly of the 
Fourteenth, who was, the last part of the time, stationed at Indian- 
apolis. He may have brought in men, and they should pay him. I 
had nothing to do with paying him. My agents had no occasion to 
rob men of their dues, as it finally came out of me. I spoke to Mr. 
Fuller, and he says that Jones rendered little service ; and, as for 
Capt. Connelly, I cannot say. 

Q. The men, sir, that he says he brought through. 

A. Those men that he brings through, are men sent by agents. 
He has no more to do with bringing those men, unless he is ordered 
to do so, than you or I. It is as if Mr. John N. Francis sends to 
myself a list of recruits, and says, I send by Corporal Jones so many 
men to-night, with their agreements enclosed. I could not pay Mr. 
Jones, because I do not know whether Mr. Jones recruited those men 
or not. 

Q. Has he ever asked you to pay him ? 

A. He did present a bill to me, sir, of $43. I told him I could 
not pay it, as I knew nothing about it ; whether it was due him or 
not ; but, I had no doubt, if the bill was correct, that Capt. Connelly 
or Lieut. Fuller Avould have paid the bilL I considered that I had 
nothing to do with it all. 

Q. When did they go down to Dutch Island ? 

A. I could not say. 

[The Chairman read a statement of Col. Viall, dated Dutch 
Island, Dec. 27, 1863, page 64.] 

Q. Do you know anything about that affair ? 

A. No, sir; except what I have heard, the same as you have, sir. 
I knew nothing about it at the time. 

Q. Has Col. Viall ever said anything to you about it ? 

A. No, sir ; I never exchanged a word about it. 

Q. Has he ever given joxi any notice at all? any kind of notice 
that such a thino; was being done ? 

A. No, sir ; never. 

Q. Were these men your agents to sell those watches ? 

A. No, sir. Mr. Chace was my agent to work in recruiting; he 
was not an agent to sell watches, and Mr. Sheldon was not employed 
by me at that time. 

Q. Did not you furnish Mr. Sheldon, with goods — watches and 
other things ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not — no further than that I did help him to 
some money ; but I did not know he was going into the watch busi- 
ness, or anything of the kind. He said he wanted to supply some 
men with shirts and drawers, and one thing and another, and I could 
see no objection to it at all, and I had nothing then for him to do, and 
as he had been to work there, I furnished him a small amount of 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 175 

money, I cannot say exactly how much : but two or three several 
times I furnished him with money. 

Q. Did not you buy any goods for him ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You never bought any watches, and paid the money for them, 
and put them into his hands to sell ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you know a man by the name of Hopkins ? 

A. I think there was a man by that name employed by Mr. Shel- 
don, I don't know whether it is the man you have reference to or 
not. 

Q. Did you employ any man by that name to sell any goods ? 

A. No, sir, not at all. 

Q. Did you furnish him with any goods to be sold on your account? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you take out any license for Mr. Sheldon to sell goods? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You knew that he had a license ? 

A. I knew he had a license at the time that Col. Viall went in 
there, to ask what he was selling tjiere for — thus and so, and some I 
heard speaking of it afterwards, and they said he had no business to 
speak in that way because he was a licensed man. That is the only 
way I knew about it. 

Q. That is all you know about this license ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You did not pay for his license? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. I suppose you understand that Col. Viall 
thought these parties were your agents ? 

A. I understood that Chace was in there. Sheldon asked him to 
come in. He was pretty busy. It was not his business. He had no 
business there. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Was there any connection between your 
office and his? 

A. No, sir ; not at all. As I said, I supposed it was a legitimate 
business. Sheldon said he wanted to furnish the men with clothing, 
and I don't know but he named watches. I do not remember ; I 
could see no objection. He said there would be no chance of my 
losing, as I could take orders, and pass my orders for collection to 
John N. Francis, until the first trouble, when I told him they must stop 
selling goods and taking orders. 

Q. This place he kept, was his ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you pay the rent ? 

A. No, sir. I have never had anything to do with that, except 
to help him to money. 

Q. Have you had any orders which he took for goods — watches 
or other goods ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I have collected them for him of John N. Francis. 



176 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Sometimes the General objected to have orders through anybody but 
myself, that they may go through one channeh I have taken orders 
for other parties when I was no more interested in the business than 
in any other business, where I could help the parties to do business. 
As far as the watch business is concerned, I never sold one, had no- 
thing to do with it. I never sold a piece of goods of any kind. I did, 
at the ending. He did not pay the money, and I did take some of 
the goods as payment. I have some of the goods on hand now. I 
did not find any fault with Mr. Sheldon. He was accidentally, so to 
speak, stopped before he was expecting to be, because we expected an- 
other regiment. He had more goods on hand than he could sell. 

Q. What was the value of that kind of goods, do you know ? 

A. Well, I could not say. We have never had any account of 
the goods ; I took what goods there were ; it is all the payment I 
could get. 

Q. You took the goods in payment of money advanced ? 

A. The goods will not pay for the money I advanced him. He 
knew it, and in that way we have never had any real settlement. 
The goods were packed by himself ; at the same time if there was 
any prospect of getting the rest of the money, he will take an account. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Col. Viall says, the}^ were your agents that 
sold those watches. He says, they would not run over three or four 
hours — no matter what they were selling, he says you were connected 
with it. 

A. No, sir ; I was not connected with them. Mr. Chace says, 
he never sold a watch, except one which was his, or his brother's. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Was the office connected with yours ? 

A. No, sir. It was on a separate street. There was usually no 
passage. It was the same as the door there— except a private pas- 
sage. Sometimes they had the door unlocked, and sometimes locked. 

Q. Were these goods purchased by Sheldon, on your account ? 

A. No, sir, not at all ; I said I never bought any goods ; I never 
did at all. At one time I was going to Boston, and Mr. Hopkins 
was going down for Sheldon ; I think his name w as Hopkins — a short 
fellow. He was not acquainted there, and did not exactly understand 
where to buy goods, and I went to certain stores there and introduced 
him. I went with him with no intention of buying. He did the 
trading, and I went on merely as an accommodation. It is natural 
for a man who has mone}^ invested to look out for his interests a little. 
But as far as selling, I never had anything to do with it. I never 
understood that he was selling watches, and as soon as I understood 
so, I told Sheldon I could not cash any more orders, or assist in get- 
ting payment for those orders. There were no goods bought in my 
name. I could not hold them at all, sir. For the money I let him 
have to procure them with, I had to depend upon his honor, and the 
goods 'if I could get hold of them. There were no goods bought in 
my name, and, in fact I had no interest in the business at all. 

*^Q. By Mr. Thomas. If there had been any profits they would 
have been all his ? 

A. Yes, sir. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 177 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. He simply had of you a loan of money? 

A. We had no understanding about the interest, " You have the 
money," said he, " and I will take it and do what is right abovit it." 
That is the way the thing was, and what was right I suppose would be 
the interest on it — that is all. I let him have the money, and I felt 
as I would if you should, come to me and wanted it, or any one else, 
as I supposed any gentleman would. I supposed it would be a legiti- 
mate business, and even if there were watches, it had never entered 
my head that it would be objectionable. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Have you any idea of the cost of the 
watches, and the prices they sold them for — the difference between 
the cost and the price? 

A. No, sir ; I could not say what the watches did cost. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Do you think they were bogus watches, 
that would not run more than four hours, and that the silver would 
not last twenty-four hours ? 

A. I should not be prepared to say anything now as to the quality 
of the watches, at all — I know they 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. It would be a peculiar watch ? 

A. I have seen a good many worn, and after questioning them, I 
have asked some of the men what they carried such watches for, and 
they said that the Avatches suited them well enough, and kept first- 
rate time. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. I believe all the watches were not sold 
here ? 

A. Most of the watches have been sold by F. M. Ballon and 
Bowen. Mr. Sheldon sold comparatively few watches ; I judge by 
the orders, that he did not sell more than fifteen or twenty ; each of 
them sold two or three to Mr. Sheldon's one, as I know by the orders. 
Mr. Ballon says, " a man at my office wants to sell watches, if you 
have no objection to cashing the orders, I will let him sell them ;" I 
could see no objections at all. They came through their bills. When 
the men were paid, he would say," you have a watch for $20, or $25, 
or $30," and they would say, " that's all right." In some cases they 
would have two. " What do you want two for ?" " Well," they 
would say, " I am going to sell one of them, to make some money." 
Of course, I could not question them until I saw there was to be a 
question about the matter ; but it did not once get into my head, that 
there would be any harm in it. 

TESTIMONY OF DAVID LOW. 

(Examined by the Chairman.) 

Q. What company are you in ? 

A. I don't belong to any company ; I do not belong to any regi- 
ment ; I am only recruiting. 
Q. Not in the regiment ? 
A. No, sir; not been mustered. 
Q. Are you an enlisted roan ? 

23 



178 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. -No, sir ; I am enlisting. 

Q. You did enlist once ? 

A. Well, I tried. I did not enlist, because I was rejected ; they 
rejected me on account of my ancle. I got wounded in the Mexican 
war. 

Q. Where do you live ? 

A. In Chicago. 

Q. You came here with other parties ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I have been enlisting since — getting men to enlist. 

Q. Who first employed you ? 

A. Dr. Delaney was the first man, and when I came on here they 
detailed me, and then he employed me. 

Q. How long were you employed by Dr. Delaney ? 

A. I could not tell exactly — some two months I suppose. 

Q. Did you know Wm. Mercer? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was he employed by Dr. Delaney ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he do anything in the recruiting business ? did he recruit 
any men ? 

A. I believe he did ; some seven or eight men from Illinois. 

Q. Did he recruit them for Dr. Delaney? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know of his recruiting any men for himself? 

A. For himself — for what ? 

Q. Men to count for him, I mean. 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Was he employed by Dr. Delaney to work for him ? 

A. Well, I will tell you as regards that. After he got here, I do 
not know who employed him. He was. employed here after he 
got here. He came here with me and six or eight men ; I do not 
know who employed him after that, I think it was Major Engley. 
He sent him down to Galesburn, Indiana. 

Q. And recruiting for himself? 

A. I do not know how a man could recruit for himself. 

Q. They talk it so among themseh^es. 

A. Well, if they can make anything at it, very well. 

Q. Do you know of any frauds or deceptions practiced upon the 
men — any of the recruits by the recruiting agents ? 

A. Well, nothing only except mvself. 

Q. Tell us that? 

A. " I'll tell you all about that. I have not made any thing at it. 
The only money I have got — I brought over twenty men and I got 
only twenty-five dollars. 

Q. Where did you bring the men from ? 

A. From Illinois and Buffalo. 

Q. Who paid the expenses ? 

A. Captain Crosby. 

Q. Is he one of Major Engley's agents ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 179 

A. I do not know. I was his agent, any how. 

Q. Did you recruit these men, yourself? 

A. Yes, sir ; there is one of them sitting there. 

Q. You have had no pay for them ? 

A. Not but twenty-five dollars, that is every cent I got in my 
life. 

Q. How much pay were you promised ? 

A. Well, I did not make any agreement to get anything in par- 
ticular, but the last time I came here Major Engley gave me twenty- 
five dollars to go back with some more men. That is all I got. I 
broucrhtnine men here, and then it ought to be worth more than that. 

Q. How did you get these men ? * 

A. How did I get them ? 

Q. What promises did you make them ? 

A. I promised to give them their bounty. 

Q. Three hundred dollars ? 

A. No, sir ; I never he ; oh, no, sir, I did not tell them any wrong. 
Well, I told them they would get two hundred and fifty dollars ; 
that was no lie ; that was State bounty. 

Q. That was the State bounty you understood ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. That is what you told the men. Did they understand the 
State bounty to be two hundred and fifty dollars ? 

A. Yes, sir : when they got to the office they understood the 
same. Major Engley told them, he would give them twenty-five dol- 
lars cash — this year they had fifty dollars. I don't know only what 
was printed on the ticket ; it was two hundred and fifty dollars. 

Q. By Mr. Hill. Can you read ; can you read yourself? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is that one of the papers ? 

A. Colored papers ? Oh, yes. 

Q. Read this part of the , (reads.) You told the men the 

bounty Avas two hundred and fifty dollars ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You supposed that was all the State bounty ? You did not in- 
tend to deceive anybody ? 

A. No, sir ; I never tried to, ^ 

Q. You supposed, yourself, that the bounty was two hundred and 
fifty dollars ? 

A. Yes, sir ; that was my honest opinion. 

Q. Have you ever seen any of those bills or not? 

A. This is the same thing — seen it the same, only the bounty is 
different. ' 

Q. You told the men they would get $250 cash, and have their 
expenses paid ? 

A. Well, sir, they got their expenses paid here, because the cap- 
tain gave me expenses to furnish the men on the road. Capt. Crosby 
gave me the money. 

Q. To feed them, &c.? 



180 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How did you understand that Capt. Crosby was to get his 
pay? _ 

A. That did not make any difference to me, I was only trying to 
get men. 

Q. You did not trouble yourself about that ? 

A. No, sir-ee. 

Q. Did not you know there was a balance of bounty, out of 
which the captain was to get his expenses, and from which he got it ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you mean to swear that you only knew that the bounty 
was only ? ' 

A. The bounty, as I understood, I mean to swear was $250, that 
is all I knew. 

Q. Did you never hear there was any more— $50 more ? 
^ A. I did not suppose anything about it. 

Q. How many men did you get? 
,A. Thirty-five men. 

Q. You told every one of these men that the State bounty was 
$250. 

A. $250 — yes, sir, $50 from the Government. 

Q. From the United States ? 

A. It must be the United States ; the Government was the Uni- 
ted States, was it not ? 

Q. Who was to get the $50 ? 

A. Why, the men, if they were to be soldiers. 

Q. The soldiers were the men who were to get the $50 ? 

A. They were to get $50 from the Government, and $200 from 
the State of Rhode Island. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did all of these men you brought here 
pass examination ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. What became of any of those ? 

A. Well, I will tell you ; three came here, (seven came,) three 
were rejected, and they went with the Massachusetts 54.ih. 

Q. Who took them there ? 

A. I do not know who got them afterwards. 

Q. By Mr. Hill. Did you understand that they passed there ? 

A. I can show you. (Takes out a paper.) There is three men 
that went in the Providence regiment. 

Q. By the Chairman. Wliat were their names? 

A. Pearson, Jackson, Craig. 

Q. They went in the Fifty -fourth Massachusetts. 

A. The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts ; yes, sir. 

Q. Is that the form of the paper your men signed ? Every man 
who enlisted signed such a paper as this? 

A. Yes, sir ; that is the agreement to enlist. " We, whose 
names are hereunto subscribed, agree, and upon our sacred honor 
promise to enlist in Company — , to be raised by , Fourteenth 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 181 

Regiment, ♦colored volunteers, R. I,, and we promise to serve as sol- 
diers in the army of the United States of America, for the period of 
three years, unless sooner discharged by the proper authority. We 
do also agree to accept such bounty, pay and rations, as are and may 
be established by the law for the volunteers ; and we each do solemnly 
swear that we will bear true and faithful allegiance to the United 
States ; we will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their 
enemies, opposers, and that we will observe and obey the order of the 
President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appoint- 
ed over us, according to the rules and articles of war, and are to re- 
ceive a bounty of $250." 

Q. By Mr. Hill. Your men all signed such a paper as that? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Who furnished you with that paper ? 
Where did you get this paper ? 

A. I got it in the office — Major Engley's. 

Q. Major Engley got you this ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By the Chairman. Did all the agents have such a paper as 
this ? 

A. I do not know, sir ; I did not look ; he gave me that one. 

Q. Have you seen any other like this in the hands of the agents? 

A. I cannot say I did, sir. 

Q. By the Chairman. But all the men that were recruited had 
them ? 

A. Well, I have got more papers ; one here. That is the last 
man I brought here. 

Q. All the men signed some kind of a paper? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you ever read them ? 

A. Yes, sir, I read all the papers I saw- — these two I think I did 
not. All the papers I saw them get, had the same reading. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. All the papers you yourself have used, are 
something of that kind ? 

A. All the papers I myself have used, were just like that. (This 
was a printed form.) 

Q. Dorsay's name is on this paper ? 

A. His name is on the other paper. I have the papers all at home. 

Q. By the Chairman. There was never anything said to these 
men about three hundred dollars bounty ? 

A. Not that I know of, sir ; only there was a little dispute when 
I came here. There was a dispute in this way : I told them to get 
fifty dollars apiece as soon as they came ; and as soon as I went to 
the office, they said, " you have no business to tell them so." They 
did not intend to give them fifty dollars. They said, " if you cannot 
do business better than that, you need not do it all. I will give them 
fifty dollars this time, but I will not do it any more." Bush was in 
the office at the same time. 

Q. Did you not ever hear Engley or anybody in the office, talk 
about three hundred dollars bounty to these 'men ? 



182 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. Well, I will tell vou ; I heard a good deal ; I heard Engley 
and a lot of them who was clerking it there in the office, when men 
would come and would ask them how much they understood was 
coming to some of them — poor, ignorant fools — some of them said 
they were going to get $200 — the other hundred was to go some- 
where, I do not know where it went. If I was going to get $250, I 
would not say I was going to get $250. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Was that from men coming from the same 
pi 



ace 



9 



A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By the Chairman. Do you know the men came from the 
same place ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was that true of the men you brought ? 

A. I did not say anything about it, because I did not know. 

Q. Do you mean to say that the men you brought from the same 
place — some received $200, and some $250 ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By the Chairman. They all understood from you that it was 
to be $250 ? 

A. Yes, sir ; every man I brought. 

Q. You understood there was to be another hundred from some- 
body ? 

A. No ; I did not know anything about another hundred ; I 
understood they were cheating out of $50 anyhow, the men who 
said $200. 

Q. The men whom you supposed got $250, you supposed got all ? 

A. I supposed they got every cent. There were four men I 
carried there. I measured the men and height. He asked them 
how much bounty are you going to get, and well, poor fellows, did 
not know better, and they put down $200. " How much do you 
get?" " $250." "If I am going to get $200, and you $250, why 
not I?" 

Q. Can you give the names of these men ? 

A. I can do it. I cannot do it now ; I can bring the papers down 
here to-morrow. How much money they got I cannot tell you, be- 
cause, some of them are out in Texas. 

Q. Do you know about their buying goods of any kind ? 

A. None ; no, sir ; only one man I brought here — that I brought 
— one man bought a watch and gave $25 ; that is, he was to give it, 
and Col. Viall came out and spoke to him, and asked him to let him 
look at it, and he pulled it out, and he said, " what did you give for 
that ?" " $25," said he, and he went on and went up stairs, and said, 
" what is your name," (to Sheldon,) and he told him. " Well," 
said he, " I want you to shut up this shop," and called him pretty 
hard names, and he said, " you shut it up, or if you don't I will con- 
fiscate everything you liaA^e got in the' house." That's what he told 
him. 

Q. Did he stop selling then ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 183 

A. I think he went on again, some time or other. 

Q. At the some place ? 

A. I went away ; I went to Buffalo. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Which was the farthest point from which you 
brought men ? 

A. Farthest point ? Chicago, 111., and then I commenced recruit- 
ing in Buffalo. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You 'gave the sum of two hundred and 
fifty dollars in every case ? 

A. Every time, yes, sir. Them bills have been stuck up in the 
office there in Chicacro. 



TESTIMONY OF SERGEANT J. S. BUSH. 
(Examined by Chairman.) 

Question. I want you to say what you can of your own knowl- 
edge, of Major Engley using these printed contracts, like the one 
shown here by this witness. Have you seen them in that office ; I 
refer to the printed contract with the names written on it ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you seen that kind of bill in Major Engley's office? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were they kept there for general use for the men who 
traveled ? 

A. Well, this kind — there were two kinds ; one was a kind like 
that. 

Q. That is only an advertisement? 

A. Well, these he served out first. He had a pile of these. I 
do not know how long he was serving them, before I went to the of- 
fice. He had a pile of these, and of the pile he gave out 25 or 30 to 
one man, who went to Buffalo. I have been trying to think of his 
name, but I cannot. He had them distributed in Buffalo — dozen to 
Sergeant Burns, of Buffalo. 

Q. Where did he go ? 

A. I do not know where he went, sir ; but he went west, and he 
had this kind sent to Sergeant Burns. 

Q. Have you seen that kind of contract returned to the office, af- 
ter they had been used ? 

A. I have never seen them returned, sir. 

Q. You know they were used on more than one occasion ? 

A. Oh, yes, sir ; for I have given them into the hands of some of 
them myself; because Major Engley gave them to me to give to 
them. 

[At the foot of this contract was a surgeon's examination.] 



184 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 



TESTIMONY OF REUBEN CASEY. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Q. Of what company are jou? 

A. Company M. 

Q. Where did you come from ? 

A. York State. 

Q. What town? 

A. Town of . 

Q. Who enhsted you? 

A. David Ray. 

Q. What bounty were you to get? 

A. He said we was to have $350. 

Q. 1350? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When was it to be paid ? 

A. He said we were to have f 25 as soon as we were sworn in, 
and then $75 after we got down to where we stay now ; and then the 
rest was to come after we went away. 

Q. Was it 1150? 

A. He did not tell me $150. He said we should have that much, 
and the rest after we got away. 

Q. Did not you understand that any part was to be paid after the 
war was over ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. How much bounty have you received ? 

A. 140. 

Q. How much did you get of the first pay? 

A. Of the first pay— $40. 

Q. That is more than he promised. 

A. I do not know ; that is what they paid me. 

Q. You did not expect it at the first payment? 

A. This is after we got down there ; we did not get anything up 
here. 

Q. They did not pay you anything up here ? 

A. No, sir; only $40 since we came. $40 when they paid 
us off". 

Q. Where is the rest of it ? 

A. I suppose Mr. Engley has got it. 

Q. What makes you think so ? 

A. I got one of the shilling watches there. 

Q. How much did you give him for that ? 

A. $25. 

Q. Have you got the watch with you ? 

A. No, sir. It ran two days after I got down there, and a fellow 
offered me three dollars, and I sold it. 

Q. Did you buy it of Major Engley ? 

A. I bought it of Mr. Chace. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 185 

Q. Do you know Mr. Chace ? 

A. I know him if I see him. 

Q. Are you sure it is Cliace you bought it of? 

A. I think it was Mr. Chace. 

Q. Do you know Mr. Sheldon ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. What makes you think it was Chace ? 

A. I suppose that is what his name was. There was two or three 
there. 

Q. Where was it you bought ? 

A. Up here — it was where they keep tbings to sell. 

Q. Was it Major Engley's recruiting office? 

A. It was where all the rest of the boys were brought. 

Q. Was it in the recruiting office or near it ? 

A. I do not know anything about the recruiting office. 

Q . You have been in the recruiting office, have you not ? 

A. I guess I have. 

Q. You signed your enlistment papers there ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was it there you bought the watches ? 

A. Where they signed the enlistment papers? no, sir. 

Q. In a different room ? 

A. In a different room. 

Q. Was it the same building ? 

A. I do not know whether it was the same building or not. 

Q. It was a little west of it — it was not far ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You bought a $25 watch, and received 

A. I bought a pair of boots for $7. 

Q. You have had -f 40 in money, and a pair of boots at $7, and a 

watch for -125. Did you buy anything else ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. How much money is there back that belongs to you ? 

A. What I want is $30. 

Q. Add thirty to seventy-two, and how much is that? 

A. I am no scholar ; I never went to school much ; I could not 
tell. 

Q. How old are you ? 

A. I am sixteen. 

Q. What makes you think that Major Engley has |30 of your 
money ? 

A, What makes me think so ? because I got them things there, 

and I did not know where else it could go to. 

Q. What makes you think it is $30 ? 

A. That's what I think it is ; I could not tell. 

Q. You do not know how much the bounty ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Are you sure you received only $40 ? 

24 



186 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 



A. That's all I got- ,, 

Q. But it was given you by the Paymaster down to camp? 

A. Yes, sir. 

TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM CASEY. 
[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Q. What company are you in? 

A. Company M. 

Q. Where do you come from? 

A. New York — Genesee county. 

Q. Who enlisted you ? 

A. David Ray recruited me — I enlisted here. 

Q. Were you enlisted at Major Engley's office? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How much bounty did Ray promise you ? 

A. He told me I should get $25 as soon as I enlisted and was 
sworn in, and before we left we should get $25 more ; and then, after 
we got down to the Island, $75. 

Q. What was the whole amount of the bounty you expected to 
get? 

A. It was $300. 

Q. From the State of Rhode Island ? 

A. It was $150 from the State of Rhode Island. 

Q. Bv Mr. Blake. Was it not $250 ? 

A. It\vas$150. 

Q. How much have you been paid? 

A. First, I bought two shirts, $6, and then I got all the rest of 
the $75 dollars, and then the second bounty I got $75 in full. 

Q. You have your whole bounty, then, have you not ? You will 
have the other $150 after you get where the regiment is going to ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I suppose so. 

Q. You have all that was due you before the regiment leaves ? 

A. I got all that was promised me. 

Q, Who did you buy the shirts of? 

A. I got them — I cannot think of his name — he is one of those 
who sold goods there. 

Q. Where did you buy the shirts ? down to camp ? 

A. No ; I bought the two shirts where they sold the Avatches. 

Q. Near Major Engley's office ? 

A. It was where they sold the watches. 

Q. Where was that ? 

A. I do not know the man's name that owns it'. 

Q. Do you know where Major Engley's office is ? 

A. I suppose his office is where the enlistment was, and the men 
were sworn in. 

Q. Was this place where you bought the shirts, near that place? 

A. It was, I believe. We had to come down this way, and then 
turned round and went up. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 187 

Q. Have you any complaints against anybody ; that you have 
been cheated by anybody ? 

A. No ; I have not been cheated, that I know of. 

Q. Did you see any watches sold there ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you see many of thera sold ? 

A. No, sir. There was two that I saw sold. 

Q. Do you know what the price was ? 

A. One was $25 and the other |30. 

• Q. What kind of a watch — ^good or worthless ? 

A. I do not know anything about one of them ; the other I know 
was not good for anything. 

Q. Were the watches warranted? 

A. Yes, sir ; he said they were good watches ; said they were 
silver ; he would warrant them to run and keep good time. 

Q." Did he warrant them to be silver ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who sold the watches? 

A. The one who sold me the shirts. There was one of the 
watches. Yes, it was the one who sold me the shirts. 

Q. Who bought these watches? 

A. My brother bought one, and the other man's name was Isaac 
Maynard. He was discharged. And Reuben Casey. 

Q. What was he discharged for ? 

A. He was not old enough, and was not large enough. 

Q. How old was he ? 

A. He said he was only fifteen or sixteen years of age. 

Q. Did you see a number of men in there buying goods ? 

A. Yes, sir ; eight or nine were in there. 

Q. Who told you to buy a watch ? 

A. I did not buy no watch. 

Q. Who ordered you ? Did any one order you to go there ? 

A. I was told there I was to take fifteen dollars worth of clothing. 
I told them I did not want fifteen dollars worth of clothino;. I could 
not take them. 

Q. Who told you, you must take fifteen dollars worth ? 

A. One that swore, who was in there. I do not know what his 
name was. 

Q. Was he the same one that sold the' goods ? 

A. No ; I do not think he was. 

Q. Who paid your expenses for coming on here ? 

A. I do not know who did pay them. 

Q. You did not pay them yourself ? 

A. No, sir. Ray said, (I asked him about paying, before I started 
from home,) and he said, no, they was paid ; he did not say who 
paid. 

Q. When did you enlist? How long ago ? 

A. About four months ago, I do not know exactly how long — 
about four months ago. 



188 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

TESTIMONY OF SERGEANT WILLIAM LYONS. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Q. What company are you in ? 

A. I am first sergeant of Company L 

Q. Do you know anything of any frauds that have been practiced 
upon the men in this i-egiment? 

A. I will just tell you what I have seen ; they have practiced 
none on me. I recruited twenty men in Indiana, and had taken 
them to Indianapolis, to Major Connelly. I went to Major Connelly 
and Fuller, and asked him what he would give me for these men ? 
He said, " $5 apiece," and then told me to take them down to Provi- 
dence. I would not let him have them for that. He told me to take 
them down to Providence. I told him I would stay myself if I liked, 
and if I did not, I would pay my fare down and back. Well, he 
drawed up a pai)er to that effect, that if I did not want to stay when 
I got down here, I should pay my fare to Major Engley. I brought 
the men here, and I was met by Bush, and some, of the men were 
sworn in over to the depot, and taken the men over to the office. I 
had not been in there over five minutes, before they brought out a lot 
of watches, and locked us up in the room, and offered me one. He 
said the price was $25 ; I tokl him I could get a dozen for $2 apiece. 
I did not say anything more about it then. I went and stayed round 
the camp two or three daj's, and I lold him (Engley) I would swear 
in if he would put $25 on the bounty ; I would stay and he might 
charge it to me. Whether he has done it or not I do not know — it 
was on the last bounty I agreed to stay. That was charging me -125 
for coming down. I know it is against me ; if I did not like it, I 
would take it out of my own pocket. Then he wanted me to go 
to recruiting for him, and I got ready to go. He told me all the con- 
trabands I would get he — . They did not get but 850 for all the 
contrabands, and -15 for all the free men. 

Q. Did they sign an agreement for i50. 

A. I do not know — I did not get away — I did not go. He would 
give me 115 apiece for them, and $5 for evei-y free man, and then the 
bounty was $275. I enlisted for $275. 

Q. And twenty-five dollars off" of that to pay your fare down 
here, which makes two hundred and fifty dollars. 

A. Twenty-five dollars off" of two hundred and seventy-five dol- 
lars. Two hundred and seventy-five dollars was what they offered. 

Q. Did you not understand that the State bounty was three hun- 
dred dollars ? 

A. Not until I came down here and was sworn into the company, 
and then I heard it from the recruits — that Avas Rhode Island recruits. 
I saw the advertisement up in Cincinnati, it was there $275 State 
bounty and $100 United States bounty, after the three years. Then 
I went to Indianapolis for $275 with $25 taken off' to pay expenses. 
We could not come to any agreement about recruiting. I told him 
if he would advance the money for me to recruit with, I would bring 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 189 

the recruits. He told me he would let me have seventy-five dollars 
of the first bounty. I told him to hand that over. He sat down and 
counted it out. I told him that was my money, and now I wanted 
some money to recruit with. He would not give me any more and 
so I gave that back to him. I was ordered aAvay two days afterwards. 
This big man, I do not know what his name was — the acting clerk in 
the office. I do not know Sheldon or Chace. He offered me $2 
apiece for every watch I would sell up in camp, after we got up there. 
I do not know whether it was Chace or the other man ; this was a 
pretty heavy set man ; he offered me $2 apiece tor every watch, and 
I told him no, if I sold any watches, I would sell them on my own 
hook. There was a lot of men came there a peddling ; but since, I 
told the boys of them, and got the watches away. 

Q. You never sold any watches? 

A. I never had any watches. I have seen them go up to camp 
from here, sir, from the office ; sometimes ten or fifteen new recruits, 
nearly all having watches, new watches ; and then I have seen the 
same men about two weeks after, on the Island, sell the same watches 
for $2 or -f 3. I have seen one of them sold for ten cents — put up at 
auction and sold for ten cents. We have got men in our company 
from Burlington, New Jersey, that has not received a cent of bounty. 

Q. Where is the bounty gone ? 

A. I do not know anything about it. 

Q. Have you reason to suppose that any of the recruits that came 
from Indiana and Ilhnois knew that the State bounty was t|300 ? 

A. No, sir ; it is not known to them. $275 is all that has ever 
been offered by anybody who knows anything about it. Then I have 
seen bills up all over the States of Indiana, and Illinois, and Ohio, 
and $275 was all they ever offered. When they first brought the 
bills on, it was $275 ; and, after that, I went to Indianapolis, and I 
saw the bills for $275, with $25 taken off to pay expenses ; leaving 
$250 for the recruit, and $25 cash in hand as soon as he got down to 
Providence; $50 as soon as they were mustered in, and the balance 
in other payments, with the promise of $100 at the end of the time of 
enlistment, and $13 a month for pay. I was with him all about the 
State. I was recruiting for the State of Ohio, because with the 
Rhode Island fellows we had a good deal of a fuss, when they first 
came out with their bills. We made them leave the State once. 

Q. You were paying only $2 per man ? 

A. Yes, sir; and we got a regiment up in five weeks of a thou- 
sand men. 

Q. You are certain that all these Rhode Island agents represented 
the State bounty to be less than $300. 

A. Yes, sir ; $275 was the most money ever offered out there, 
because, I questioned them, and the bills were up everywhere for 
everybody to see. I questioned Major Connelly and Fuller about it ; 
I told them I thought these men went on as substitutes for Rhode 
Island, and that each man had paid $300 to buy a substitute, and told 
them that was what I thought, and that for the $300, I was pretty 



190 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

sure that they got their pay in that way ; hut no, it was altogether 
differently. 

Q. When you arrived here, you found out what the State bounty 
was ? 

A. I never found out for certain until I got on to the Island ? 

Q. Major Engley did not inform you? 

A. Oh, no, sir ; he did not tell anything at all. He asked me 
what I enlisted for. I told him I enlisted for $275. 

Q. Do you know whether he ever informed any of the recruits 
what the State bounty actually was ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not know any of his ways. But about selling 
watches ; I have seen watches sold right in his office. That was 
before I was sworn in ; they had me down there all the time. I have 
seen him sit at the desk and reach up and sit up, and take a watch 
out — reach right up in the desk ; sit right up in a corner, and reach 
right up ; and lock the door when the men came in. What he said 
to them, I do not know. He offered me one, but I did not take it. 

Q. Can you think of anything else ? 

A. No, sir; that's about all I know — nothing more than what 
I have heard other men say. I know there was fifteen men who 
gave their names in Company M, each cheated out of -$15. They 
wanted me to bring up the paper with them when they came up to 
receive the flag. I never brought it. Each were cheated out of t§15 
in this clothing swindle. Pastern Fletcher was one of them. He 
was the only one I know. He brought the names and gave them to 
me. 

Q. Where did they buy the clothes ? 

A. I did not ask. I know that they took the clothes, and he 
charged them to them ; he said that some had taken them, and there 
was !|15 worth that they must take, and some did not take at all, and 
they were charged any way. I have the names of all the men on a 
paper, that they gave to me, and his letter — letter from the Adjutant 
General of this State, before he came here to recruit — there was 
somethino; about recruiting. 

Q. Have you got that letter ? 

A. I havn't it with me ; I have it down to the Island ; I never 
brought it. He wanted me to bring it up and have it published. 

Q. Did you read the letter ? 

A. I did read it over. I do not recollect what it was now. It 
was something about the Adjutant General here not furnishing trans- 
portation to bring recruits on, or something like that. And then 
there was another letter from an agent at some place — Major Engley's 
agent to him. I have three letters. Another has a recommendation 
from Zanesville, Ohio, for this man Fletcher. 

TESTIMONY OF SERGEANT JOHN JACKSON. 
[Examined by the Chairman.] 
Q. What is your name ? 
A. John Jackson. 
Q. Where do you reside ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 191 

A. I reside in Lockport, New York. 

Q. What company are you in ? 

A. (Jompany I. 

Q. You are a sergeant are you ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What sergeant ? 

A. Fourth sergeant. 

Q. When did you enlist ? 

A. I enlisted, I hardly know the exact time myself. I have a 
book down there that shows. 

Q. Where did you enlist? • 

A. I enlisted here in Providence. 

Q. What was the name of the person — you came from Lockport? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q, What was the name of the recruiting agent there ? 

A. Edward Sarsnet. 

Q. A colored man ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you sign any agreement there ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you make any agreement with him ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. What did he tell you ? 

A. He told me he would try to get me a non-commissioned offi- 
cer's place. 

Q. What did he tell you about the boinity ? 

A. He told me that, the first time I saw him, in Rochester city, 
he told me they was giving f 300 bounty. 

Q. Who paid your expenses? 

A. I don't know exactly who did. He fetched me here. I sup- 
he did. 

Q. You did not pay any expenses ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did not you agree that that should come out of your bounty ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you sign any paper after you arrived here, besides your 
enlistment papers ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you sign any agreement giving any person any part of 
your bounty ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did not you sign any paper? 

A. I signed no paper, only my enlistment papers. 

Q. How much of your bounty did you receive ? 

A. I received fifty dollars — the first bounty — I should have re- 
ceived seventy-five dollars. 

Q. What reason did the Paymaster give for not giving jou seven- 
ty-five dollars ? 

A. I went in there and 1 got fifty dollars, and I counted it over. 



192 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

and said, " there is only fifty dollars." He said, " you have had 
twenty-five dollars." I told him, I had not. He says yon have had 
twenty-five dollars. I told him, no, I hav'nt. He said there has 
been twenty-five dollars paid to Major Engley — he has drawn it, and 
said he, " whether you have had it or not, you will have to go and see 
him about it. He has got it for you." That was all the satisfaction 
I got from him at that time. 

Q. Did you see Major Engley ? 

A. See him ? no, sir ; we went away next day, and I hadn't a 
chance to see him. We went down to the Island, and I haven't had 
a chance to see Major Engley. When we were taken down to the 
Island, and there was a payment, I spoke to the Paymaster, and he 
said he would see about it. 

Q. Did not the Paymaster have any order, agreement or receipt, 
signed by you ? 

A. No, sir ; he said he had my name there, and that I had had 
$25 ; but I had not signed any paper for that. 

Q. You had not made any agreement with any person ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. For 125? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you not understand that you were to pay your travelling 
expenses here ? 

A. No, sir ; I understood by the recruiting officer, that I was not 
to pay it. 

Q. Can you read writing ? 

A. No, I am rather a poor reader. 

Q. You sign your name ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you sign that paper? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you not make your mark ? 

A. Yes, sir, I made my mark ; I touched my pen to the paper. 

Q. Where was this signed by you ? 

A. In Capt. Farman's quarters. 

Q. Who ordered you to appear there ? 

A. I think the captain of the company. 

Q. What was his order ? 

A. I could not tell what the order was, except for the men who 
had been swindled out of their money, met there for testimony. 

Q. Who came on with you ? 

A. Edward Sarsnet. We started with Sarsnet from Lockport, 
and went to Buffalo, and was there a day and the next night. 

TESTIMONY OF SERGEANT JAMES STANLEY BUSH. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 
Q. What Company are you in? 
A. Company I, sir. 
Q. Where do you reside? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 193 

A. I reside in Philadelphia. 

Q. Did you enlist in Philadelphia, or come from there to enlist? 

A. No, sir ; I was enlisted in New York by Capt. Ballon. I 
passed examination here in Providence. 

Q. Did you make any agreement with Capt. Ballon about your 
bounty ? 

A. I did not, sir. 

Q. You signed no agreement whatever ? 

A. No more than Avhen I arrived in Providence ; here I signed 
$5 for bringing me from New York to Providence. That was all the 
agreement, sir. 

Q. When did you enlist ? 

A. I enlisted, sir, — I am not sure, but if I mistake not — on the 
6th of November. 

Q. Did you go into camp, immediately ? 

A. I did so, for one day. 

Q. Were you detailed to other service? 

A. I was detailed next morning. I went to camp one night. 
Next day I was detailed by Major Engley to come down to his re- 
cruiting office, near the Post Office. 

Q. What did he employ you there for ? 

A. He employed me for to Avrite, to bring the men from the de- 
pot to the office, and to run errands generally. He had me and Ser- 
geant Williams, quartermaster sergeant. Company G, at the office. 

Q. How long did you remain at Engley's office ? 

A. I could not tell you exactly. I remained there some two or 
three or four months, I could not recollect the exact time. 

Q. Were there other persons that were employed in or about the 
office by Major Engley ? 

A. There was Sergeant David Low ; David H. Ray, he is over 
to the Governor's office, and Sergeant David Reeder. They were all 
employed at the time I was, at the office. 

Q. Was Luke Chace in Engley's office ? 

A. He was the clerk. Yes, sir. 

Q. West ; do you know him ? 

A. Yes, sir ; Captain West. — he was there too. 

Q. Do you know a man by the name of Sheldon ? 

A. Yes, sir ; he was clerk. 

Q. Do you know about any trading that was done in Engley's 
office — goods of any kind sold to the recruits ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you sell any yourself? 

A. I did not, sir. 

Q. Did you see any sold ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By whom ? 

A. By several persons, sir. I have seen some sold by Captain 
Ballou, of New York — watches — to men that enlisted there. 

Q. Where was that ? 

25 



194 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. In Englev's office. He brought the watclies on with him from 
New York, together with the recruits. I have seen some brought by 
Mr. Angell, a man that was in the employ of Mr. Ballou. I have 
seen some sold by Mr. Fuller, a man that was in the employ of Mr. 
Angell, and I have seen some sold in the office adjoining — back of 
the office that Engley had. 

Q. Do you know whose office that was ? 

A. It was supposed to be held by Mr. Sheldon. Mr. Sheldon 
and Mr. Chase, together, sir. 

Q. What kind of watches were those that were sold by Captain 
Ballou ? 

A. They were the same — or they were the same kind of watches, 
as those that were sold by Mr. Chase and Mr. Sheldon. 

Q. What kind was that ? 

A. Well, sir ; they were watches to all appearances rubbed over 
with silver — copper or brass watches that were rubbed over with silver. 

Q. By Mr. Hill. They appeared to be silver ? 

A. They appeared to be silver, and to all appearances they were 
silver watches. 

Q. Were they silver watches? 

A. No, sir ; they were not. 

Q. Did Capt. Ballou warrant the watches ? 

A. There is one, sir. [Shows one to the Committee.] Captain 
Ballou warranted the watches to be silver. 

Q. They all warranted the watches did they ? 

A. They were warranted to be silver. 

Q. What was the price they charged ? 

A. The price, sir, was from !f!20, $25, and $30. 

Q. Did the men wish to buy these watches, or were they com- 
pelled to ? 

A. Some wished to do so, and some were compelled to by buying 
the watches and getting $15 worth of under-clothing — shirts and un- 
der clothing, and by getting $10 in money. 

Q. How were they compelled to take these goods? 

A. To get the money, sir ; they could not get their $25 bounty 
advanced without getting these goods. Some he paid $25 to, and 
some he did not without taking the goods. 

Q. What do you mean, he advanced the money ? 

A. No, sir ; the bounty when enlisted was $25 at the time, $50 
after they were enlisted, and $75 at the arrival of the reghnent at its 
destination, and they could not get the $25, some of them, without 
taking these goods, because they would not give it to them ; and to 
get the money, the men would rather agree to take $15 in clothing 
and the rest in money. 

Q. Did they apply to the Paymaster for the money ? 

A. They did not, sir. These gentlemen would not advance the 
money unless they took the goods. 

Q. Did not they understand that the Paymaster was the man to 
pay the bounty ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 195 

A. No, sir ; the men did not understand that, they understood 
that Major Engley was. 

Q. But the Paymaster would tell them so ? 

A. The Paymaster was not in the office ; his office was in the 
rear of the recruiting office. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You mean that the Paymaster's office was 
in another building ? Paymaster Francis — Avas that the man to whom 
you alluded ? 

A. Another building leading from Engley's building, at No. 10, 
Custom House street. The Paymaster's building was on Weybosset 
street. 

Q. By the Chairman. Was this the character of the watches ? 
[Shows one to the witness.] 

A. If you will please allow me to see it first. [Examines it.] Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Do you know what such a watch as that is worth ? 

A. Mr. Angell's man, acting for Mr. Ballon, told me that you 
might get them by the dozen for $4 1-2, and from that to $5 apiece. 

Q. This Angell sold the watches and Avarranted them — you say 
Ballou did ? 

A. I know there was some complaint about these watches, and 
Capt. Ballou gave me $5 to have their Avatches fixed. I took the $5 
and had several Avatches fixed for i5. The Avatches Avere fixed, and, 
I belieA^e, they run about two days, and since then, none of the 
watches have run that they had fixed. 

Q. Did the men ever carry a watch before ? Did they knoAv 
how to take care of them ? 

A. Some of them have; some knew how. 

Q. Was it the fault of the Avatches or of the men ? 

A. Some, sir, was the fault of the watches. 

Q. Do you know Avho this watch Avas bought of? 

A. I do not knoAv who that Avatch in particular was bought of. 

Q. Did you know of Major Engley's selling Avatches ? 

A. Well, I don't knoAv that Major Engley did. If I recollect 
right, he went one morning to Boston, and had taken Mr. 
Slieldon's clei-k with him at the time, and returned Wednesday after- 
noon. The goods — some goods — came Avith Mr. Sheldon's clerk on 
Wednesday evening, and some on Thursday morning. I do not re- 
collect Avhat date it Avas. And Major Engley, Thursday morning, 
came to me, and told me that Avhen a squad of men arrived, that Mr. 
Sheldon Avas going to set up a shop in the rear of his place, and that 
I could take the men through his office, in the tailor's shop, — office 
No. 8 — and for every dozen men tliat I could get to buy a watch, he 
Avould give me one watch for selling them to them. I had taken" 
about three dozen men to him, and Col. Viall came up that day, and 
Col. Viall said he Avould see in the evening. Col. Viall came in the 
evening, and saw me taking some of the men ; and Fletcher Burleigh, 
a young man I took in, came doAvn stairs, and when he came doAvn 
to the sidewalk, there stood Col. Viall, just as I got in. What the 
price was I do not know. 



196 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Did you hear Major Engley order Fletcher Burleigh to buy 
a watch ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not hear him. 

Q. Did you ever hear Burleigh say he was ordered by him? 

A. I heard Burleigh say that Major Engley sent him with me. 
He went round to about half-a-dozen others and J took them round. 
I took them round by order of Major Engley. 

Q. Did you see Luke Chase sell any watches? 

A. When I went up in the office, when Col. Viall took the watch 
from Burleigh, — when I went up to the office, — Chase had a watch in 
his hand, then he sat down to the desk, and went to writing. Shel- 
don was selling goods. 

Q. Do you mean to say that of your own knowledge you know 
that Chase sold watches ? 

A. I mean to say that when Col. Viall went up there, Chace had 
a watch in his hands ; whether he was selling it or not I cannot say. 

Q. You have never seen him actually sell a watch ? 

A. I have never seen him actually sell a watch — no, sir. 

Q. Have you seen Sheldon sell them ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I have seen Mr. Sheldon sell. 

Q. Do you know whose watches they were, that they were selling? 

A. They were reported to be Mr. Sheldon's, and they were his 
for ouo;ht I know. 

Q. Do you know whether Major Engley had any interest in the 
trade ? 

A. No more, than he told me, sir. 

Q. What did Major Engley tell you ? 

A. He told me as I told you before, to have as many men go 
round and get watches, as I could, and he would give me one watch 
for every dozen men that bought a watch there. 

Q. Did you understand that they were his watches ? 

A. I understood from that — yes, sir. 

Q. What other goods did they sell there ? 

A. They sold shirts, they sold drawers, undershirts, boots, gloves, 
scarfs and breast-pins. 

Q. What kind of breast pins did they sell ? 

A. They had some breast pins, very blackguard ; such as small 
pins with sights in them — a small substance grew very large, with 
very blackguard figures in them. 

Q. What did they charge for these pins ? 

A. I do not know, sir. 

Q. Were there other goods sold by them, of good quality, and 
such as the men needed ? 

A. I cannot tell you that, because I never bought any, nor en- 
quired into it. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Magnifying pins ? well, they were obscene 
pins. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Are there any to be had at present ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 197 

A. I have some down to the Island. He gave me one — Mr. 
Sheldon. 

Q. By the Chairman. Well, the men — do you mean to say that 
these men were compelled to buy these goods ? 

A. By saying compelled, I say they were compelled, because they 
would not get no portion of their bounty, unless they did buy these 
goods. They were made to understand that they would get no bounty 
unless they did buy flS worth of goods. 

Q. Did they give them goods, and say it was necessary for them 
to have them ? 

A. Some did and some did not. Whether they needed them or 
not, they were told either to buy them or else go without their first 
bounty. 

Q. How did they pay for these goods? Did they give an order? 

A. They gave an order; yes, sir; Mr. Noyes or Mr. Engley 
would give an order for $15 on Mr. Sheldon, and when they came 
back, they would get their 810 balance. 

Q. Do you know anything more than you have told already about 
any frauds that have been practiced upon the men. 

A. I do not know as I do. No, sir ; I think not. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Where did you first see Col. Viall ? 

A. The first time I saw him was at Camp Smith — up here in 
Camp Smith. 

Q. Did he speak to you there ? 

A. He did not, sir. 

Q. Where was the first place he ever spoke to you ? 

A. At the office, at Major Engley's. The first time Col. Viall 
ever spoke to me, was by my asking him for a musket. I was anxious to 
learn the drill. I asked him if he could not sign for me to have a 
musket at the office. That was the first he ever spoke to me. 

Q. You are not the man he saw in the Bank Eating House, and 
asked you if you could show him where to buy watches ? 

A. You refer to a man by the name of Angell. 

Q. Can you explain ? 

A. I cannot, except* he was a man in Capt. Ballou's office. He 
belongs in this city ; because I used to go for a horse when he came 
with a full squad of men, and to ride outside on the seat, to where his 
family is. 

Q. Was he tall and slim ? 

A. No, sir ; he was a short man ; very short. 

TESTIMONY OF ELIJAH DORSEY. 

(Examined by the Chairman.) 

Question. What is your name ? 
Answer. Elijah Dorsey. 
Q. Where do you reside ? 
A. In Buff"alo, New York. 
Q. Who recruited you ? 



198 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. Sergeant Low. 

Q. Tliis is the man you call sergeant ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What agreement did you make with him in regard to bounty ? 

A. I made an agreement with him for two hundred and fifty dol- 
lars from the State, and a hundred from the Government for the term 
— three hundred dollars for three years, and got a hundred from the 
Government of the United States, and two hundred and fiftv dollars 
from the State of Rhode Island. 

Q. Did you understand that the State of Rhode Island paid more 
than two hundred and fifty dollars to anybody ? 

A. No, sir. I never understood that she paid more than that, only 
I understood that two hundred and fifty dollars from the State of 
Rhode Island, and one hundred dollars from the United States, mak- 
ing up three hundred and fifty dollars, that is what I understood. 

Q. Do you know now what tlie State bounty is ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not know no more than I did at first. 

Q. You never heard that the State bounty was more than $250 ? 
Haven't you heard anything said about it in camp ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You never heard of $300 ? 

A. No, sir ; all I heard Avas giving $250 from the State of Rhode 
Island, and 1100 from the United States — made a total of $350, that's 
what I understood. 

Q. Do you mean to say you have not since learned it because 

A. I have not since learned it, because I never had a chance. 

Q. Haven't you heard any questions, that is this State bounty 
that is talked about ? 

A. The State bounty I heard talked about was $250. 

Q. You never heard of any other bounty while in tlie regiment? 

A. No, sir, I heard talk of $25 when we came here, and as soon 
as we took the oath and raised our right hand, then we got $50 as 
soon as we were sent out to duty ; and then we got the rest when we 
got to the place of rendezvous — the place of destination ; that was to 
New Orleans I suppose — don't know where -no how — get the rest as 
soon as we got there ; understood it was $250 from the State. 

Q. Did you sign any paper that sergeant Low had ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not recollect of signing any paper ; but I recol- 
lect the second day of my enlistment they called me out, and I signed, 
and heard him reading solemnly, you will have three-fourths, &c., 
where they had us fixed to take the oath. I signed such a paper; I 
signed half a dozen papers like that — signed my name. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Can you write ? 

A. No, sir, I cannot write. 

Q. By the Chairman. Can you read ? 

A. Some. 

Q. If you signed an order, you knew how much money? 

A. Yes, sir ; I knew when I signed an order. 

Q. Can you read writing ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 199 

A. Yes, sir ; a little. 

Q. Can you make your mark ? 

A. I never made any mark on any orders. 

Q. How much bounty did you receiye ? 

A. The first payment $25. The second payment 875. Then $S2 
has gone somewhere. I have never seen it. 

Q. Have you bought any watch ? 

A. No, sir. I did not know anything about any watch. I recol- 
lect one evening when the colonel came up there, they took us up 
and told us where we were to take fifteen dollars worth of cloth- 
ing ; they fetched up a whole box of watches. " If you don't take 
it the money will be taken out of your bounty." Most of us took it 
except me. I did have a watch in my hand, and as soon as the 
colonel came, I gave it up. Said he, " you come selling Peter Funk 
watches ;" said he, " I want to close up this establishment. I will see 
if I can't. I'll confiscate all the goods." So they Avent to argue, 
and wanted to apologize to the colonel, and the colonel did not want 
apologies. The colonel did not wish him to swindle his men out of 
their money. He had swindled it out of them right smart — swindled 
us in shirts at -$6 ; mittens with a finger and thumb at $1, that you 
could buy for fifty cents. Said, they was cheap enough for the money ; 
said they were going to have another store come up from Boston. Col. 
Viall did not want them to sell at all, and he gave it to the fellow. 
He saw Mr. Burleigh, and asked Avhat company he belonged to, and 
he said he was in Major Engley's employ ; and the colonel asked him 
Avhat he was doing ; and at that he hauled out a watch, and said, 
" that he had been getting the boys to buy watches." He (the 
Colonel) said, " show him the place." They would then shut this 
door and lock us in, and so they did that day, and we had to 
"die dog or eat a hatchet ;" they locked the door, and as fast as we 
took our watches they let us out one by one ; but when the Colonel 
came up they let us all go out at once, because the Colonel was in 
earnest, he did not want his men swindled ; and when I came to re- 
ceive my first bounty, I received i35. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Are you sure it was $35 ? 

A. I don't know whether I was or not. I had myself $35 and 
received of my entire pay bat $40. I was owing one sutler $9, and 
another $5, and every cent of money I had was $26 after I had them. 
You can reckon from that how many dollars of it I had — reckon from 
seventy-five dollars. 

Q. Havn't you already testified that you never bought any goods ? 

A. I have. I did not say I bought any goods of these men. I 
was not paid off; these were little frauds of mine on me. These men 
have not got anything, 

Q. In the payment of bounty, you did owe the sutlers ? 

A. In the payment of money I got $40. I paid $14 — one sutler 
$9 and the other' $5. 

Q. You had your money, and I suppose they paid themselves ? 

A. Here's a thing ; they had $32 out of me, and I did not know 
anything about it. 



200 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Who had this against you ? 

A. Major Engley — the great Major Engley, sir. 

Q. Did they tell you what it was for? 

A. They told me I got goods here ; and I asked the paymaster to 
make those goods appear to me — what I got — and then I knew I was 
swindled ; at the moment, I saw I was getting swindled. 

Q. Did not you have a hack? 

A. I don't ride in hacks. 

Q. You say you did not buy a watch ; you have shown us one. 

A. That is one I borrowed of a man in the army, to show what 
kind of $25 watches they had to sell. 

Q. What did you borrow a watch for, to show us ? 

A. I thought I could investigate the watch, maybe better than he, 
and so I borrowed it. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. In this written statement you say you were 
enhsted by Mr. Crosby. 

A. Mr. Crosby did not enlist me. Sergeant Low enlisted me. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Do you know anything else concerning 
this matter that you have not told us. 

A. I believe I know a great deal, but I could not tell it without 
being asked some questions. 

Q. By the Chairman. Have you said anything to Major Engley 
about this $32 ? 

A. I haven't said a word, because I came yesterday — my only 
opportunity. He told me the minute I was sworn in, I could get a 
furlough home for ten days. I was like a man at first, of course, and 
the first I knew I was sworn down to Dutch Island — almost for my 
life-time. I got away, and I've come to tell the truth and nothing 
else, and I will, sir, all I know. There's one of the watches, war- 
ranted to be silver, and I thought they were silver, because they flew 
open, that way ; I found it was a sham. I thought the watches were 
good because there was a soldier on them. I thought I would go and 
see, and when I came to look in, and the Colonel came in raving, I 
was trying on a pair of boots — and I gave it up. He had my name 
signed to a pair of boots and a Avatch — I never had it to get. I did 
not take the boots or the watch. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. What place ? 

A. I have just said I was up there trying on a pair of boots, and 
the C'olonel came in, and as soon as he came in (I did not know the 
Colonel) the first thought was, it was the Provost Marshal, and I 
hauled the boots off, and I left the office. 

Q. By the Chairman. They put your name down ? 

A. They had my name down on a great big book ; I went up 
and they marked my name down, and it said, E. Dorsey, so and so. 

Q. You did not put your name down ? 

A. No, sir, I did not — West, one of Major Engley's men, helped. 
He was acting as a clerk. This was one of the great things I think 
Major Engley had there in this office. 

Q. Do you know his name ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 201 

A. I think it may be Sheldon, anyhow — savage looking man ; 
looked like he'd scare a man if he did not swear. 

Q. Did he say you must take $15 worth ? 

A. He gave $10 in money, and then you had $15 which you 
must take in clothes. Well, we marched up there and told them we 
were going to some saloon to take a drink, and then we marched up 
to that office and they locked the door ; they had got a contract and 
they should loose if it was not taken out, and of course the boys took 
and commenced buying goods wholesale and retail. 

TESTIMONY OF RICHARD GREER. 
[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Q. What company are you in ? 

A. Company M. 

Q. Where did you come from ? 

A. Baltimore. 

Q. Who enlisted you ? 

A. Mr. Ray. 

Q. Is he a colored man ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What was the bounty ? 

A. He said that if we came here and were sworn in, the bounty 
would be $350. 

Q. How much was the State bounty ? 

A. We were to have $100 from the State after the three years was 
up, and $250 now. 

Q. One hundred after the war was over? 

A. After the war was over. 

Q. The State bounty was $250. 

A. He said $350 on the bills. 

Q. What kind of bills did you see ? 

A. It was hand-bills. 

Q. Can you read this ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did anybody ever tell you that the bounty to be paid now 
was $300? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. $250 now, and $100 at the end of the war ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who paid your expenses ? 

A. He did. 

Q. Did he tell you he paid your expenses, or whether it came 
out of your bounty ? 

A. No, sir ; he did not mention any such words to us. 

Q. You did not understand anything about it ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You did not ask any questions aboul it ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not ask any questions about it. 

26 



202 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. When you came on here, how much bounty did you get? 

A. I got, out of my lirst bounty — I got $25. 

Q. Who paid you that ? 

A. The paymaster. 

Q. How much have you received of the second bounty ? 

A. I received the whole of the second. 

Q. $15. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What has become of the rest of your first bounty that you 
could not get ? Can you tell ? 

A. He said that the recruiting officer had it against me. 

Q. Did you put your name or mark upon any paper in Major 
Engley's office? 

A. Yes, sir ; on one. 

Q. Do you know what it was ? 

A. No, sir; it was after the names were put down. They put 
our names down, and at the end of our names they put a cross-mark. 

Q. What was that ; your enlistment paper. Did you sign any 
order for any part of your bounty ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not. 

Q. Did you agree to give Major Engley any part of your bounty ? 

A. Only for the two shirts. 

Q. You bought two shirts ? What did you give for the shirts ? 

A. I was to give seven dollars for the two shirts. 

Q. Did you buy anything else ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Was it not six dollars ? 

A. No, sir ; seven dollars. 

Q. You are sure of that ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was this seven dollars taken out of your $25 bounty ? 

A. No, sir ; it was taken out of the other. 

Q. Out of the '175 then — which you understood from the pay- 
master had gone to Major Engley ? 

A. Gone to Major Engley the recruiting officer. 

Q. How much bounty do you understand them is due you now, or 
will be when you come to where the regiment is stationed? 

A. Well, sir, that bounty was to be |!l50,thatwe were to get this 
next time. 

Q. You have received $15 and |25 and if you had that $50 which 
Major Engley has, and the $150 which you expect to get, it will 
make $300, and that will be more than you expected when you 
enlisted. 

Q. You were enlisted in Baltimore ? 

A. It was on the bill $350. 

Q. With $100 at the conclusion of the war? 

A. He did not say anything about that ; it Avas $350 he said we 
were to get. 

Q,. Did vou not sign any agreement for $250 bounty — in the 
State ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 203 

A. No, sir ; in the State ? no, sir. 

Q. Ai-e you sure you did not ? Did not the Paymaster say he 
had something of the kind ? 

A. No, sir ; he did not say any such thing, sir. 

Q. Did you make your mark on that paper. (Showing one.) 

A. I made a cross mark at the end of my name — the same as it 
is put there. 

Q. Was it read to you when you made your mark on it. 

Q. [By Adjutant Whiting present.] Did you give that state- 
ment to the Captain ? 

A. He wrote it down and put my name there. 

Q. By the Chairman. You say now that the shirts were $7, you 
told your Captain ${) ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not ; ^7 was what I was to give for the shirts. 

Q. What kind of shirts were they ? 

A. These are red striped shirts. 

Q. Do you know what such shirts are worth ? 

A. They had been bought in Baltimore for twelve shillings — I 
wore one when I came down there. 

TESTIMONY OF COLONEL NELSON VIALL. 

Monday, February 15. 
[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Q. You are Colonel commanding the Fourteenth Regiment ? 

A. Yes, sir; Lieut.-Colonel, commanding. They gave me a 
Lieut. -Colonel's commission. My Colonel's commission is from the 
Governor of the State. 

Q. Have you been in command of the regiment since its first 
inception ? 

A. Since its first inception ? yes, sir. 

Q. As commander of the regiment, have you had anything to do 
with the recruiting ? 

A. Nothing ; other than that I have had when the three or four 
first companies were forming ; occasionally a man would coifie to my 
camp and enlist, and most invariably I turned him over to one of my 
staff" officers to enlist him, and that staff" officer had the benefit ; or 
the company officer as the case might be — in both cases. I had re- 
cruited some three or four men myself, and with the exception of 
these in the first four companies, I have never had anything to do 
with it. The men threw themselves in our way in our camp, as in 
the Thirteenth, three (six) months, and we made out their enlisting 
papers, and I was authorized to enlist, being the superintendent of 
recruiting according to the army regulations. I could enlist men as 
well as any one. 

Q. What is the whole number of men that have been enlisted in 
this reo'iment ? 

A. The exact number I could not state now — rising seventeen 
hundred. I have not had a consolidated report for some days, and 
could not give the exact number. 



204 REPORT OF FINAKCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Most of your men are from abroad, and out of the State ? 

A. Most of them are. 

Q. Do you know how they have been recruited — by whom, and 
in what manner ? 

A. There has been a regular agency here, and they have been 
recruited through these agents — Major Sanford and Major Engley. 

Q. They liave all been recruited through this agency ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Colonel Viall, had you anything to do about the payment of 
the bounties to these men ? Do you know how it is paid, and how 
much ? 

A. As I understand it, the men are to receive |25 upon being 
enlisted and sworn in, and $50 upon being mustered in ; and the re- 
mainder of the bounty upon arriving at their destination. That is 
all I know in relation to the system. 

Q. Then you have no knowledge of any contracts that these men 
have made with the recruiting officers, in disposing of a part of their 
bounty ? 

A. In many instances, my men have signed away a portion of 
their bounty. Those who come from remote places, signed away 
their bounty in part. They have complained to me that they have 
not received so much as the m^n who come from a shorter distance. 
I have investigated the matter — making inquiry, and found these men 
gave receipts for the money retained. 

Q. Have you any knowledge of the men having been deceived by 
the officer, in signing receipts for a larger share of their bounty than 
they supposed they were giving ? 

A. I only know the complaints of the men as they turn up in the 
regiment, and whether they have reason to complain, or whether they 
claimed to be ignorant at the time they signed these receipts is a ques- 
tion I cannot answer. But many have complained that they did not 
receive what they ought. 

Q. You have not had occasion particularly to investigate the 
matter?. 

A. I have made complaint to those parties, and they showed me 
the receipt that the men who have complained have given, the receipts 
or made their mark — either their mark or their names. 

Q. In any case that you have particularly investigated, have you 
or not, been told that the men were deceived and that they signed 
away more of their bounty than they meant to, through their inability 
to read the order that they signed, than what they supposed they were 
giving. 

A. These men, those that came from a long distance, it has been 
generally understood, that they should defray the expenses of coming ; 
and in signing the orders, I have been told, in making the investi- 
gation, that they understand the exact difference ; but I have some 
instances in the regiment, where these claimed afterwards that they 
did not understand. 



ON BOUNTY FKAUDS. 205 

Q. Have you, in any instance, been satisfied on investigation, 
that these complaints were just. 

A. I have thought they were not just in some instances. 

Q. Many of them I suppose are unable to read and write. 

A. Yes, sir ; many make complaints that I have no doubt they 
have no foundation for making, upon investigation. 

Q. Is not that a very common thing in all regiments, that the men 
are unreasonable ? 

A. It is natural for soldiers to complain unjustly, many times. 

Q. You have no personal knowledge of any instance of fraud 
upon any man by the recruiting agent — none within your personal 
knowledge ? 

A. None that I swear to. I have had occasions to complain of 
sales to the men, that were made in New York — parties that I was 
perfectly ignorant of, and could not ferret them out. 

Q. Sales made by the recruiting agents ? 

A. By agents in New York. 

Q. Sales of what ? 

A. Watches ; that was the article that was sold there by partios 
before the men came on, and proved not as good as I'epresented. 
They most invariably applied to me to father the thing, and tried to 
get justice. 

Q. Was that practiced to any considerable extent by the agent ? 

A. Quite a number of complaints were made to me in regard to it. 

Q. What was the character of the watches ? 

A. They were brass and slightly washed,with white metal, and they 
would become black in carrying three or four hours — averaged to run 
about three or four hours. 

O. Were they sold for silver watches ? 

A. That I could not say what they bought them for. 

Q. Do you know how much they paid for these watches? 

A. I only know Avhat they say they charged. 

Q. How did they pay for them — in money, or by an order ? 

A. They say they paid for them by an order. 

Q. Do you know of any watches of the kind being sold to the 
men in camp ? 

A. I had knowledge of parties I had reason to believe, outside of 
the regiment altogether, that came to camp. I had occasion to eject 
several such parties from camp, which were found peddling watches, 
summarily. I have found everybody very anxious to follow them up 
while they had money, and get all they could from them in vai-ious 
ways. That is everybody — those huckstei'S who had no other inter- 
est than to peddle about the camp, other than recruiting agents and 
those interested in procuring men. 

Q. By everybody, you mean the vultures ? 

A. I accept that idea. 

Q. I wish, colonel, you would explain to the committee, yoursut- 
tlery system ; if you have one, or have heard any, give some idea of it? 

A. When I first commenced wuth the first battalion, I had a com- 



206 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

mission as major. I always felt the necessity of having a party to 
trade for the regiment, that connected itself exclusively with it, from 
the fact that I kept my men within the lines. A party accosted me 
on the street, and asked for that place, and I gave it to him, with the 
understanding, he assured me that he had suttled for one or two regi- 
ments, previously while organizing the regiments here and that he had 
paid $75 per month to the regiment ; that accrues to the regimental 
fund. I gave him the sutlership to the battalion at that time, and 
when we expected it would be only a battalion, and he remained as 
sutler of my regiment until he sold articles strictly forbidden, such as 
whiskey and intoxicating liquors to my men, and when caught in 
that act, the result was mutinous conduct on the part of my men — 
twenty or thirty of them — and I discharged the sutler. 

Q. When was that ? 

A. That was about two months ago. I then gave it to a man — 
to two parties — Chace and Brown, who had always been in the regi- 
ment since its first company was organized. Chace was a Daguerreo- 
type artist, and Brown was a party who was willing to put on 
chevrons, cross-cannon, and fit clothes to my men, to make them appear 
respectable — as the numbers often came in very large, and I was 
anxious to have every man appear properly. He did this because the 
sutler could not make it profitable enough to make it an object, and 
he allowed the sutler something to secure this. Mr. Chace was a 
Daguerreotypist, and had his apparatus on the Dexter training ground, 
and sometime after Mr. Rathbun went away, I gave the sutlership of 
the regiment to these partigs upon the same tax. On organizing the 
regiment, I did not propose to increase the tax until the regiment is 
full. My f)biect has been to apply the army regulations. It gives 
the commanding officer the control of the funds until the regiment is 
full, and after that I can appoint a council of administration. When 
the regiment was full, I did this as it was required by the regulations, 
and it is now established. 

Q. This Chace & Brown, do they continue at the present time as 
sutlers ? 

A. Yes, sir. The Colonel of the regiment could not take the 
moneys of the sutler, and accruing from rations and taxes, when his 
regiment is filled, as the army regulations demands that a council to 
regulate the tariff of the sutler, and to attend to disbursing and man- 
agement of the funds. The Colonel has it optional with him who 
shall be the treasurer, and the proceedings of the council are brought 
to him after they have decided, and if he disagrees with the decision 
of the council, and the council insist, it is left out to the next senior 
officer or commander above the Colonel. The object, no doubt, of 
the regulations is, to prevent any undue authority being vested in 
one man. 

Q. This council of administration is composed of commissioned 
officers ? 

A. It is composed of the Lieut.-Colonel, Major and senior Cap- 
tain. If none of the field officers are present, then the senior line 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 207 

officers, and if none of them, then the Colonel shall act. He con- 
venes the board when he thinks it is necessaiy ; once of two months 
I think it is exacted of him. 

Q. During the formation of the regiment, not being able to ap- 
point such a council, you acted as treasurer yourself ? 

A. I have done so ; yes, sir. 

Q. But, if you please, state whether or not, at any time, the 
sutlers appointed by you, Chace & Brown, and Rathbone, have been 
interfered with by other parties ? 

A. They have been shut up once. I received a peremptory order 
to shut them up and eject them from the lines within an hour. 

Q. Can you tell when that was, or about when? 

A. I could not state the exact date ; but it was at the time, about 
the time Avhen the second battalion was preparing to move. It was 
after I dismissed Rathbun, and appointed the other parties. 

Q. You say you received peremptory orders. From whom ? 

A. The Allotment Commissionei told me they must leave the 
lines within an hour. 

Q. Did you understand from him what was the reason of the 
order ? 

A. Some misunderstanding between the parties who were to sell 
goods there and the sutlers. It implied that the sutlers had broken 
faith in regard to abstaining in selling. 

Q. Other parties had been into camp selling goods? 

A. Not at that time. My first battalion was supplied by the same 
parties ; but not to my knowledge at the time : — on Dexter Ground 
— the first battalion. Then when a second battalion was supplied, 
and Mr. Chace and Mr. Brown were selling the same articles, why, 
it interfered. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. That seems to be a second party. Had 
they a right to sell on the ground ? It interfered with the parties 
there, and were there any other parties who had a right there ? 

A. Not to my knowledge. 

Q. How did the sutler interfere ? 

A. The other parties had permission to sell there. 

Q. Then the sutler did not have the exclusive right ? 

A. He did not in this case. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. How did they get this permission ? 

A. Col. Smith being an officer ot the State I had to recognize his 
authority, and felt under obligations to obey the order. 

Q. By the Chairman. As Allotment Commissioner, would he 
have any official authority ? 

A. No, sir. He was then in the capacity of aid to the Governor, 
and I received orders frequently through the staff of his Excellency, 
and was bound to obey such orders. 

Q. Not as Allotment Commissioner? 

A, No, sir. 

Q. This is Col. A. D. Smith ? 

A. Yes, sir. 



208 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Do you recollect who these parties were that went there to 
trade under the patronage of Col. Smith ? 

A. Mr. Barnaby and Mr. Snow on Westminster street — they 
have been there. 

Q. About when was the first time that they went there ? 

A. They came there just previous to the sailing of the second 
battalion. 

Q. What kind of goods did they sell ? 

A. Principally woolen goods, and boots and shoes. 

Q. Gloves ? 

A. Yes, sir. Gloves of a kind ordinary fit for these men. 

Q. What kind of boots did they sell to these men ? 

A. A variety of styles. The ordinary variety that we find in 
market. 

Q. Did they sell many of these long boots? 

A Yes, sir ; a great many of these top boots were sold — Welling- 
ton boots, quite a number of those. 

Q. Will you state whether or not these boots were suitable or 
not ? 

A. They are suitable for winter weather. If they are only small 
enough to allow the pants to cover, they can get about with them in 
winter weather. Our men are tender from the knees down. 

Q. Do you know whether they sold a large amount ? 

A. I could not say the exact amount ; I have no means of know- 
ing, other than at a guess. 

Q. Do you know enough to venture any opinion ? 

A. I should object to venturing an opinion, from the fact that I 
might be wide of the mark. 

Q. Have you any knowledge in regard to the prices they received 
from the men — whether they were ordinary and reasonable prices ? 

A. Well, with the present advance in everything, it is pretty dif- 
ficult to say Avhat a reasonable price is. I should say that many 
goods might have been sold a fraction lower. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. How did they sell these gloves? 

A. Well, I am not positive what the prices of the gloves were. 
I think a white woolen glove was sold for a dollar a pair — knit gloves. 

Q. Did most of the men wear white gloves? 

A. We exact of them to wear white cotton gloves, yet only on 
duty — at dress parade or guard duty. Many of the men did invest 
in a great variety — white leather or white woolen — most of them did 
have the white cotton gloves. 

Q. But in addition to the white cotton gloves, which is a part of 
their uniform, they bought these others ? 

A. I exact of the sutler to keep white cotton gloves, postage 
stamps, paper, needles, thread, ink, cleaning materials, and those sort 
of things mostly essential to the men, they must keep tobacco, a neces- 
sity that a soldier must have. 

Q. Did these traders you speak of carry tobacco into the camp? 

A. Yes, sir. I don't think they carried postage stamps. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 209 

Q. Do you know whether they represented to the men that they 
were authorized to sell these various articles, or any of them, and that 
they were required by their officers to purchase ? 

A. I don't know that they were. I don't know that I heard the 
men say that they must buy, 

Q. These traders did not come into camp, then, on your request? 

A. I was unconscious that they supplied my first battalion, until I 
received a note that the parties were coming to Dutch Island, and the 
request that I should make them comfortable. 

Q. The sutlers were ordered to be dismissed at the time these 
traders came hito camp ? 

A. About that time. Yes, sir. 

Q. One was in connection with the other, I suppose ? 

A. I could not say. 

Q. The orders came from the same source — orders for admitting 
the traders and dismissing the sutlers ? 

A. They came from the same source. 

Q. Have these traders visited your camp more than once ? 

A. They have just returned from it ; from the sales of the third 
battalion. 

Q. How long have they been there ? 

A. Some eight or ten days. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Colonel, I shouJd like to ask now, with a 
view to see the occasion of the change, if the sutlers holding that 
position now, kept the same articles, and whether there was any com- 
plaint that they did not supply ? 

A. There has never been any complaint to me that the sutlers did 
not supply. The present sutlers are prohibited from selling any liquid 
to the men. 

Q. By the Chairman. The change was not for failing to supply 
the articles needed ? 

A. Not that I am aware of. 

Q. The two parties you have named, the one a clothier, the other 
a shoe dealer or maker, did not sell tobacco ? 

A. Mr. Huntoon did sell tobacco on the first visit that was made. 
On the second visit they made an arrangement with the sutler for 
him. He did not visit the men. 

Q. The sutlers then have remained there during the last visit ? 

A. Yes, sir ; they are still retained in that position. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Then instead of traders, they were sutlers 
and kept their sutler's tent ? 

A. The council of administration has been authorized to investi- 
gate the prices, and investigated their prices. The council books are 
opened. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. During the presence of Barnaby and Snow, 
the sutler's shops were closed ? 

A. They were for two days, possibly for three days — at the out- 
side, it might have been three days. 

Q. By the Chairman. Have these been required by the council 
of administration to pay any tax ? 

27 



210 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. The other party? no, sir. 

Q. They have paid nothing for the benefit of the regiment ? 

A. We have received nothing. 

Q. Colonel, have you any knowledge that the men have been 
imposed upon, or defrauded, or swindled in any way by these traders? 

A. I did, at one time, come from Dutch Island — and this is a 
case in point — I only speak of it from observation. I arrived here in 
the edge of the evening, and went into the Bank Eating House, and 
got my supper, and a young colored man came in — and rising to pay 
my bill, I asked to what company he belonged, " I don't belong to 
any company," said he, "I am to get men to buy watches;" said I, 
" I would like to have you get me in and show me the way." I en- 
tered the room where the sales were taking place and forbid them ; 
upbraiding the parties ever to sell those articles to my men — if they 
did continue to do so, I should chastise them. 

Q. Who were these parties? 

A. A man by the name of Chace — I did not know him before. 
He was in the act of selling to my men — that were to be my men — 
I had not seen them previous to that ; I was told that after I gave 
that order (by one of the parties) no watches were sold. 

Q. Were these persons selling watches connected with Mr. Bar- 
naby, or Huntoon, or Snow ? 

A. Not that I am aware of; I could not say what connection 
they might have had. I came from the Island only to transact that 
which pertains to the regiment and then return, and my interview 
was with the parties on Saturday night, and returned to the boat on 
Monday morning. 

Q. Will you state whether you were required to furnish these 
traders with quarters in camp ? 

A. I was requested to make them comfortable in quarters. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did they bring watches to sell ? 

A. Not to my knowledge, no, sir. 

Q. By the Chairman. What quarters did you assign them upon 
their arrival there ? 

A. I first vacated my hospital tent and moved my sick to the hos- 
pital barracks, and gave them the tents formerly used for the hospital. 
The last time I had four barracks emptied which Avere recently left, 
and they occupied one of those barracks. 

Q. State whether or not, it was any inconvenience to you, and 
did any of the officers of the regiment complain at your providing 
them with their quarters the first time ? 

A. No, sir ; not to my knowledge. There was no inconvenience 
to any of us in providing them with the hospital tent. I had received 
this request to furnish them with a comfortable place previous to this, 
and had expected them. I had intended to put them in the hospital 
building that was being erected, but I was here in the city some two 
or three days. On arriving back on the Island I found that the sur- 
geon had removed, and I then told them that the next best thing they 
could do was to take the hospital tents. It remained there a while 



ON BOUNTY FEAUDS. 211 

after they left and I then had it taken down and turned in to the 
quartermaster. 

Q. This hospital tent was not at that time of any use ? 

A. Of no other use — no, sir. I would state in connection with 
that, that upon the arrival of these parties a stove remained in the 
tent, and my surgeon said he would like to have it — being very much 
opposed to these parties — while I would like to have the stove remain. 
I then said, " Doctor, your men can occupy a kitchen much nearer 
the hospital for that purpose," and he denied that they should have it. 
Not being accustomed to be dictated to, I made it a point, and told 
him these pai^'les were going there, and would occupy the stove. 

Q. I had understood that it had caused some inconvenience. 

A. If any inconvenience at all, that was the inconvenience, the 
matter of making gruel on another stove — that was all. In acting 
upon this matter, I acted from a pure sense of what I considered my 
duty, without regard to my own feelings on the matter. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. It did not appear why these new traders 
were brought in and the others suppressed and then opened again, 
there being no objections to the regular sutlers — they furnishing the 
articles needed. 

Chairman. It appears that the control of the sutler's business in 
this camp, had been outside of the usual authority. I wish to know if 
that was the usage ? 

A. In organizing the regiment under State authority, and as we 
have been situated, I could not deny, nor Avould I assume that I have 
exclusive authority. I would have suppressed the sutlership if com- 
manded by any officer acting in commission in the State, that I would 
recognize — any officer attached to the Governor's staff — as I am ac- 
customed to receive orders through them. The Governor, in no 
instance, has been exacting at all. He has always done justly by me 
and by the regiment. 

Q. I understand that, in admitting these traders — outside traders 
— you have acted according to orders, and not upon your own judg- 
ment merely ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I suppose it is proper for you to state whether or not it was in 
accordance with your own judgment or not, that these changes were 
made ? 

A. I have never had occasion to complain in regard to this mat- 
ter ; feeling that while organizing the regiment, it was in embryo, 
and as there was a regular increase of men every day, it was very 
difficult to get at any regular tariff. It has never been done in any 
regiment. It has been a matter of conference, either on the part of 
the colonel, or on the part of those getting the regiment up ; but 
when the regiment is organized, the duty is, plain enough, to conform 
to the army regulations. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. But, this regiment has been fully mustered 
into the service ? 

A. By companies ; but in many instances we have ninety men 



212 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

and five officers, and a portion of those five or six officers, those who 
had not passed the examining board. When my first battalion went 
away, I took every officer who had been passed, for the first battahon, 
leaving the second a part of the officers who had been appointed, but 
had not passed the board, but who were needed to perform the duties 
of the camp. When the second battalion went away, I was left 
equally destitute of officers ; there were but four officers, all told, for 
the six hundred men. Now I am accumulating gradually, as the 
examining board sends every few days an officer. Second lieutenants 
have been many times in command of companies. Then I was 
obliged to change as circumstances required — as an offllter was sick — 
until I had my complement of officers. The men come in much faster 
than officers, from the fact that the examining board reject so many. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Major Engley, has not passed the board ? 

A. I think he has not done so, I am not positive. He has not 
been under my orders ; I have never issued an order to him. He 
has never assumed any duties in the regiment. 

Q. By Mr. Hill. How did the prices of this last sutler compare 
with the parties who bring goods there? 

A. I could not say ; in some things T might consider them exor- 
bitant; in others, very fair. It is a matter I have not meddled with, 
as I have assigned them to a place, and they have kept themselves to 
their particular quarters. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. It looks as though it was rather unjust to 
those sutlers who were established on your acquiescence, and who 
have had to pay a tax. It was most beneficial to those who furnished 
supplies, and yet did not pay the taxes ? 

A. In appointing sutlers, I consulted the wishes of the officers I 
had with me. I did that because I thought best — because we required 
harmony. They were well satisfied with these parties as sutlers, and 
they were allowed to assume the place that the other man vacated, 
some three or four weeks before. I had had so much trouble with 
my first sutler, that I had decided not to have a sutler in camp at all, 
as they outi'aged all rights. 

Q. By the Chairman. These men have not sold any liquor in 
camp, to your knowledge ? 

A. Never ; no, sir. 

Q. Has this change or interference with the sutlership made any 
difference in the regimental funds ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not think it would, as the tariff was -175, we 
received the regimental fund whether that sutler made a large or 
small profit. It was the same until the regiment was full. That 
was the understanding when he entered the place, and it would be 
the same until the last company was mustered. Then this council 
required of them to adjust the prices and fixed the tax. The regu- 
lations require that it shall not be over ten cents per head, and makes 
certain provisions. 

Q. Was there not a difficulty on the part of the officers and men 
in camp in procuring such things as were requisite for their conveni- 
ence, without these traders coming in ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 213 

• A. My officers have access to the city once in ten days. We do 
not allow passes to the men to leave from the fact that if I commence 
the system, I cannot do justice to them all, and I had rather prevent 
all passes, except in extreme cases, as death or sickness. 

Q. Have they not opportunities, by orders and agents ? 

A. Always, when the men went to Providence. I have a mail 
bag also. 

Q. At ordinary prices ? 

A. They may not be able to buy these articles for credit. That 
is the only difference. All soldiers and all men like to buy on credit, 
than they will pay cash, and our men are peculiarly adapted to that 
trade. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. These traders that came down, sold goods 
and took orders upon the paymaster, if the parties had not the money, 
and in that they ran the risk that the men may never finally be en- 
titled to draw the bounty from death or desertion. It is pretty small, 
perhaps, if the colonel has never allowed them any furloughs. 

'A. My men are very well contented with that system. I don't 
have two applications a day, I think. At one time during the sum- 
mer, they were more liberal ; more particularly men in the State ; 
now, if a man wants a furlough, he wants to go to New York or 
Philadelphia, and some would go to Kentucky, 

Q. By Mr. Hill. Have you lost any by desertion ? 

A. We have lost some. 

Q. Of the black men ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Some of these men, before they went into 
camp, were allowed to go back to assist in recruiting? 

A. Well, sir, they were allowed to go away by me on an order. 
I gave an order as a voucher for clothing if I gave him up to go 
away. 

Q. Then you have allowed some men to go away upon an order? 

A. I am authorized to do so to assist in recruiting-. If the man 
does not turn up, I account for him as deserted or on recruiting ser- 
vice. 

Q. Have you ever lost any of these men who were sent out to 
recruit ? 

A. Yes, sir ; some of them have not yet turned up. There nat- 
urally will be some such in recruiting a regiment. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. How many men skedaddled off in that way ? 

A. I could not say. My last report of deserters was thirty-seven 
all told. That was before the men out on recruiting service were or- 
dered to come in. They were all over York State and in the West 
and of that thirty-seven we knew where nine of them were, and I 
have since learned that they were in the hands of Provost Marshals 
at certain points and have been sent to us and are in the command noM^ 

Q. By the Chairman. Do you know how many of your men 
have been out on the recruiting service at any one time. 

A. A large portion of them are taken the moment they arrive. 



214 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

When in camp, after being equipped with knapsack and clothing, and 
with the request in writing that such and such men may go on recruit- 
ing service, and they are sent back to the agent. 

Q. At what time does the pay of these men commence? 

A. From the time they are mustered into the service. 

Q. By Mr. Hill. And then they are sent out to recruit ? 

A. These men are not mustered into the service before they are 
sent out. 

Q. By the Chairman. Some of them have had their first bounty? 

A. They receive no pay unless the State pays them, until they 
are mustered into the service. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. They draw rations ? 

A. Not while in the recruiting service. 

[At this point. Colonel Viall explained the method of drawing 
rations by the soldiers in camp.] 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Then all these men on recruiting have 
been once in camp ? 

A. Not all ; no, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Hill. What proportion of these have you lost who 
were out on recruiting service ? 

A. I could not say. The parties who Avent out recruiting have 
not returned. I have had a great many run away from camp. I did 
not mean to be understood that the deserters were those who went 
away on recruiting service. I do not think that the proportion is any 
more than upon a fair average. I do not think that tlie men on the 
recruiting service would be so liable to desert as men who had been to 
camp and found soldiering different from what they thought. 

Q. By Mr. Hill. How did they get away ? 

A. The principal portion of our deserters have been in camp up 
here. Dutch Island is a place where we can call the roll and get all 
the men in. They do slip off" in boats, however, by hook or crook, 
and get away. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. About that change in traders? 

A. If it had been in the service, under other circumstances, it 
would not have seemed quite right. But in the State, parties have 
been acting in connection with each other, or militia officers and all 
have been anxious to advance the interests of recruiting, and not of 
holding a commission. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. It was said that the sales of these watches 
spoken of, that the orders given for them were witnessed by officers ? 

A. I do not know how for that may have been ; I observed two 
or three orders on the Paymaster, that were witnessed by the com' 
pany officers — that the men would go to the company officers to 
witness them, and I really believe that the company officers did it 
more with a view of making it valid than anything else, and not 
thinking he was doing any wrong. At one time, I met a man nego- 
tiating his bank account ; he put -$60 in the bank, and had drawn out 
$20, and he was selling his $40 remaining, to another m.an, for the 
man's note for $75. Well, his name was George AVashington ; and 
I asked George what he was about; " I am going," said he, " to let 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 215 

this man have my money out in bank, and. he is going to give me his 
note for $75, and I shall make $35 on it." That operation the Lieu- 
tenant was going to see right, said I, " that man can never pay you 
that money — if you get "wounded down south, you can draw it from 
the bank," and after explaining to him he began to understand, but 
that idea of making the extra $35 was the thing. I upbraided the 
officer, but I am satisfied that he did not suppose he was doing a 
wrong act, for I am satisfied that the man could never have paid that 
$75. As regards the witnessing, they had no motive in it. I think 
it was a matter of indifference or carelessness — merely do it to gratify 
the men. 

Q, By Mr. Thomas. Do you know of these men being taken 
advantage of? 

A. I have not observed the purchases of the men. I suppose you 
might take pig iron into camp and sell it to my men. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. They buy partly because they can make a 
piece of paper pay. 

A. My men are equally free Avith money. Col. Viall gave an 
instance of a man who forcred a check of the Allotment Commissioner 
and got the money. 

Q. By the Chairman. You have a brother in the regiment ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. A lieutenant? 

A. Yes, sir. 

COL. NELSON VIALL— Recalled. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

March, 23d, 1864. 

Question. Please state in reference to your coming to Providence, 
in December ? 

Answer. I would say that about the 24th or 27th of December, I 
came to Providence. I think it was the 24th, when I wrote that let- 
ter, I took it from my memorandum. As I did not know Luke Chace 
from Adam, at that time, I learned the names of the parties who were 
in the office, and made a note of it when I returned to the Island. 
This book laid on my table, and I entered in it the complaints that 
came from the different men from time to time — and these were noted 
at the time they transpired. 

Q. This letter was written by you — It is your handwriting ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was it written on the day of its date ? 

A. It was not, at the time of its date. 

Q. When was it written ? 

A. Some fortnight ago ; less than a fortnight ago. It was mis- 
dated from an inadvertency, on the 27th of December, the day when 
I made a memorandum of the frauds that Luke Chace and Sheldon 
practiced upon these men ; and, upon my attention being called to it, 
I rectified the matter at once in the presence of Mr. Bailey, a mem- 



216 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

ber of the House, several evenings since. I then said it was taken 
from my memorandum book. 

Q. This letter is addressed to Wm. P. Sheffield ? 

A. It is, sir. 

Q. It was written within a week or two? 

A. It was written within a fortnight. 

Q. About the time it was presented to Mr. Sheffield ? 

A. About the time it was presented to Mr. Sheffield. Yes, sir. 
That, with other evidence of this matter. 

Q. It was dated back to December, for what reason ? 

A. It was an inadvertency. In taking off the memorandum, the 
date of the memorandum is made the date of the letter. 

Q. Was it written in camp? 

A. It was written on Dutch Island. Yes, sir. 

Q. Why was this addressed to Wm. P. Sheffield ? 

A. From the fact that I had a case of damages against me from 
this same Luke Chace, and not expecting to be present |to attend to 
it, I left it in the hands of an attorney, with evidence sufficient to sat- 
isfy any jury that Luke Chace was guilty of what I accused him. 

Q. Mr. Sheffield was your counsel ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. These are what you furnished him as evidence ? 

A. That is what I furnished him. When I testified before as to 
the names, I did not know the names, but have obtained them from a 
man who was in the office when this altercation took place. I then 
learned the names of the men that were present, and such are the 
names that are embraced in that letter. 

Q. This was a communication between you and your counsel to 
inform him of the facts of the case ? 

A. Yes, sir ; he assured me that he would look out for the case. 

Q. So that that the purpose of this communication was to inform 
him of the facts of the case ? ' 

A. That, and no other idea in view. 

Q. Had you any expectation that he would make it public ? 

A. I had no idea that it would be made so, in any other way 
than for my own defence, and the benefit of this command — my com- 
mand. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. I should like to have you define that ex- 
pression ; " benefit of the men." It is important to know whether 
that was intended for publication or not, and for the use of the Legis- 
lature. 

A. For the use of the Legislature? not at all. sir. 

Q. Was there any understanding between you and Mr. Sheffield, 
that this should be presented to the Legislature — made public, or was 
it merely a pi'ivate communication between you and your counsel ? 

A. I had an acquaintance with Mr. Sheffield, and asked him of 
my own afi^airs in relation to these recruiting agents, as they stood 
then, and he assured me of his hearty co-operation in assisting me in 
regard to the matter. I told him I expected to leave soon, and had 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 217 

got to have some one to attend to this matter, if it was carried before 
a court, and this is hke a similar statement in relation to these men 
that I have made before the Committee. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. I do not understand that we have quite 
got at Col. Viall's idea about the use of this letter — whether it was 
written for the purpose of publication, or for use in the Legislature ; 
you began to say that this communication arose from engaging him 
as your counsel, &c.? 

A. The circumstances of the case are like this : I never have 
known Mr. Sheffield to be other than an honorable attorney in our 
State. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You were acquainted with him ? 

A. I knew him, from the fact of his visiting us in the camp, for- 
merly in ihe field — I never knew him intimately, and in applying to 
him, it was from no other motive than to leave this matter in his 
hands for investigation. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Now, I should like to have you answer me 
the question distinctly, without reference to Mr. Sheffield. Did you 
write that letter for the purpose of furnishing it to be used for your 
interest in the suit, or whether you furnished it for use in the General 
Assembly ? 

A. I had no idea or intimation that he was to use it before the 
Legislature. I have testified to the same effect before the Committee. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You have not testified to the point you 
make in that letter — you will remember that you did not gi^-e us any 
testimony before you had followed it up with a letter ? 

A. 1 testified, if I am not mistaken, that I visited Luke Chace's 
place — I would say recruiting office — I related in detail the accosting 
of the boy, &c. I had not learned the names — I could not have 
given them to you then, because I did not know the men ; they were 
recruits, and my command was upon Dutch Island, and these men 
were retained here a week before they are sent down there ; I could 
not have given the names then, had not a man complained to me, 
and casually said, " don't you remember the time when you told these 
men not to sell these Avatches ?" I turned to my memorandum book, 
and referred to the memorandum in reference to Luke Chace, and I 
wrote that letter. 

Q. By the Chairman. Did you know the names of the parties 
that you speak of in that letter? 

A. I did not. I described them as agents. I knew the names of 
the agents. I knew Sheldon, but did not know the given name of 
Chace. 

Q. Did you at that time know that they were agents of Major 
Engley ? 

A. I was not positive of it ; I do not think I was at the time I 
testified before. 

Q. You state in this letter that they were agents of Major Engley ? 

A. Mr. Sheldon has informed me since then, that he was employed 
by Major Engley to sell those goods. 

2S 



218 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. When did Mr. Sheldon inform you of that ? 

A. Within the last five weeks. 

Q, You did not inform the committee so when you testified before 
the committee ? 

A. I met Mr. Sheldon in Brown's Daguerrean Saloon, and he 
accosted me to know if I was particularly hostile to him, because he 
had not any ill will towards me. He said, when you accosted me 
there, I had no other object to sell, but to follow my instructions ; I 
was employed by Major Engley to do this work. 

Q. Is that the only intimation you had that he was employed by 
Major Engley ? 

A. Otiier than that I have seen these parties continually in the 
office and writing by order of Major Engley. 

Q. Was that the same office where these watches were being sold ? 

A. It is not in the same room. There was a room back of the 
office in which the goods were kept. 

Q. Is it the same office ? 

A. Yes, sir ; connected with it. 

Q. What authority have you for saying so ? 

A. The room is back of the office proper, and these parties were 
employed in the office and in the sales room, where the sales were 
m^de. 

Q. Well, that fact you knew at the time you testified before ? 

A. I knew that these parties were there. 

Q. Have you said anything to Major Engley about this sale of 
watches ? 

A. Yes, sir. I have objected to it ; I took ten men to his office, 
each with a brass watch in his hand. 

Q. At his office ? 

A. I ordered a sergeant from Dexter Training Ground, to take 
these men and report to me there. That was before the troops left 
Dexter Training Ground. I came down to the office and found no 
one there but Mr. Noyes, and he could give me no satisfaction, and 
the squad was remanded back to camp and have not had satisfaction in 
relation to this matter — none whatever. 

Q. Do you know as a fact within your own knowledge and per- 
sonal observation, that the watches that were sold by Sheldon and 
Chace in that office were bogus watches ? 

A. I do know it. 

Q. Did you see the watches there ? 

A. I saw a watch and it compared favorably with the class of 
watches they were selling. 

Q. Did you see the watches sold ? 

A. In the act of selling, and I forbid the sale. 

Q. You examined the watch yourself? 

A. I examined the watch. 

Q. And was it of the character you described ? 

A. The watch bore a military device. 

Q. It was what you call a bogus warch ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 219 

A. Yes, sir ; I call it a bogus watch. 

Q. Who was selling ? 

A. Chace was in the act of selling, while Sheldon was waiting 
upon some men to bny boots. 

Q. To whom was he selling? 

A. To these same men embraced in that letter — that were in the 
office. 

Q. He was not selling to any particular men ? 

A. I could not specify the man. 

Q. Did he sell the watch ? 

A. I believe the man decided not to take it at my advice. 

Q. That was the only bogus watch you have seen these men buy ? 

A. The only one I have seen these men buy. 

A. The only one I have seen myself, and that was accidental, by 
being called in as stated in that note. 

Q. Did you see any other watch of that character in their pos- 
session ? 

A. I have seen fifty or sixty. 

Q. Did you see any in the possession of Sheldon or Chace? 

A. I did not see any more there. I have fifty men who had pro- 
cured them. 

Q. Your authority for saying that Sheldon and Chace sold bogus 
watches to the men then, is the statements made to you by the men ? 

A. Outside of the question, that I saw them in the act myself. 

Q. If you did not see any sale — 

A. I saw no sale — I prevented the sale. 

Q. Aside from that, your only authority is the statements or com- 
plaints of your men ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have your men stated to you that Sheldon and Chace sold 
the watches ? 

A. These men are not acquainted with these recruiting agents 
when they arrive, and they are kept ignorant of the names ; possibly 
from intention, and possibly not, I will not accuse them. 

Q. No matter whether they are ignorant or not — have they, as a 
fact stated to you, that they purchased these bogus watches at that 
office ? 

A. Yes, sir ; most invariably, and they were told, in some in- 
stances, that they would make very good sergeants, and without a 
watch a sergeant could not get along. 

Q. You do not know by whom they were told so ? 

A. I do not, I am merely stating now, what these men told me. 

Q. And these men have not given you the names of the persons 
who sold them the watches ? 

A. Sergeant Bush, I think his name is on there, who was em- 
ployed for the purpose of a salesman, and generally employed in the 
sales room. 

Q. Where is he now ? 

A. On Dutch Island — the names of the men are all there. 



220 HEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Bush was employed to make the sales ? 

A. He was employed by them in the sales room. 

Q. Employed by Sheldon and dhace, or by Sheldon? 

A. He was detailed by Major Engley, if I remember right ; I 
have now the order for him ; I do not remember ; he may have been 
a man taken immediately upon arriving here, and employed in the 
office. I had a sergeant Williams, who was detailed on Major Eng- 
ley's order, for the purpose of attending to office duties up here — I 
will not be positive about Bush. 

Q. You have since been informed by Mr. Sheldon, that he was 
employed by Major Engley ? 

A. He informed me that he was. 

Q. Has he told you, or admittei^ to you that he sold watches of 
this character, that you described, as bogus ? 

A. The intimation was, that he was employed to sell these goods. 

Q. Too sell what goods ? Did he say he was employed to sell 
good or bad watches ? 

A. I do not know — he knew the character of the watches. 

Q. I ask, because he has made a statement that he has never sold 
any bogus watches, but watches of a good character and at a fair 
price, and I wanted to know if he had made a different statement to 
you? 

A. The statement he made to me, I got from» him in Brown's 
Photogragh Gallery ; he seemed to feel as though I had something 
against him. I had always met him at the Quartermaster General's 
office on good terms, and when I met him in the office selling these 
goods, and with the repeated complaints of the men in mind, and I 
found him at this, I felt indignant, and I told him that it was worse 
than a mock auction room on Broadway, and I forbid them tamper- 
ing with the men, and when stung with the injustice of it the result 
would be bad. Sheldon followed me down stairs, and said at that time, 
that he was employed to do this ; it was not his own work that he 
was doing, and, if I remember, he very cautiously left and went down 
stairs, and from that time, until I met him in the Photograph Gallery, 
I had not met him to speak with him ; I met him then on the stairway, 
and, if I remember, he followed me up into the Gallery — he was de- 
scending — and wished to know if I had any feelings against him. He 
said, " I left Engley's office right away, and I don't wish to be im- 
plicated ;" I do not remember exactly, but the implication was, that 
he was employed to sell those goods on a salary, and he was employed 
by Major Engley. I asserted that on his statement. 

Q. The particular point that I want you to answer to is this : — 
Whether he has admitted to you that he was an agent ot Major Eng- 
ley or otherwise, and that he has sold any bogus watches ? 

A. I do not remember that he did at the time. 

Q. The conversation related generally to the goods in the shop? 
A. Yes, sir ; to the goods in that shop, and merely spoke in gen- 
eral terms, though he knew well what those goods were. 

Q. He has testified that he has sold goods as agent of Major Eng- 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 221 

ley, and at the same time testified that he sold no bogus watches 
whatever — that the watches he had sold were of a good character and 
worth the money ? 

A. On investigation you can find out, and I will put ilOOO dol- 
lars against as many cents that you cannot find one-eighth of the 
watches sold but what are bogus, that have been sold in the State 
here, from whatever source, and I do not know of any other source, 
unless a man by the name of Harrington, sold some ; I think he 
might. But for all those others, orders were given. 

Q. We have been informed that most of the watch trade was car- 
red on in New York, in some office there ? 

A. Mr. Ballou told me he did sell some of these bogus watches, 
and I complained to Mr. Ballou, on account of being complained to 
by the men. I met him on Washington street on my return from 
Washington, and I spoke to Ballou of the complaint of a man that 
said he had sent money by him to the families of the soldiers and they 
did not get it. Well, he asserted it was false, and the question came 
up upon recruiting officers, and that many watches had been sold there 
in New York by him, and he admitted to me that he had sold watches 
until Major Engley requested him not to sell, as the paymaster found 
trouble in getting the payments, and .did not want to retain the order. 
He said, he did stop selling watches, and Major Engley took up the 
sale of watches immediately here upon his stopping. This, Ballou 
told me in conversation, and these are my reasons for making the 
statements in my letter — simply to satisfy my own mind. 

Q. Those names that you have given there, are the names of 
persons who were present ? 

A. These men purported to be there in the room when I was 
there. The first man (Richard Green) called my attention to the 
fact that he was present, and that I forbid the sale of watches, and 
from him I learned the other names. 

Q. Do you know whether either of those men have in their pos- 
session either of the bogus watches ? 

A. I think one of them, when he testified, I think he said he sold 
it for $2 or $3, I do not know, I merely called these men together 
and got their names, and then dismissed them. I sent for them to 
my headquarters ; I enquired if they remembered meeting me in this 
place, and they all went on without any solicitation from me, and 
stated facts that satisfied me that they were acquainted with the mat- 
ter, after which they were sent to their quarters without any further 
conversation. 

Q. Have you any reason to give. Colonel, for not furnishing these 
names to the Committee ? 

A. I could not have known or placed my hand upon the names 
of those present ; I merely went into the room and out again, in a 
very short time, and I got them from this man, or I could not have 
learned the names of the men that were there. I reported the fact 
directly after it transpired. 

Q. To whom ? 



222 REPORT OF FINAKCE COMMITTEE 

A. To His Excellency the Governor, and he assured me he would 
take the matter in hand, and bring the men to justice. 

Q. Do you know whether, since the time that you reported to the 
Governor, any of these sales have been made ? 

A. In my own mind I am convinced that a large number have 
been made. 

Q. Made by the same parties ? 

A. I cannot swear to that, only from the appearance of these 
watches, and the statements of the men that they have procured them; 
but from what parties they procured them I cannot say. 

Q. You have never, as Colonel of the regiment, although you 
have known of these facts for two or three months, you have never 
taken pains to ascertain the names of one of these men who has one 
of these bogus watches ? 

A. I could furnish, probably over fifty. 

Q. But, have you obtained the names ? 

A. I have made memorandums, repeatedly, of the men who had 
made complaints to me about these watches. There is a memoran- 
dum speaking of Ballon^ 

Q. Will you not read it? 

A. John Jones complains that Capt. Ballou retained |)18 sent to 
his wife in New York, at 57 Thompson St, Those complaints, when- 
ever occasion required, in selling these watches, I have called atten- 
tion to. 

Q. You saw Ballou ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What did he say about it ? 

A. I got no satisfaction from Mr. Ballou. 

Q. Did he deny the fact ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you dropped it then ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I could pursue it no further. He held some $2200 
from our State, and was running recruits into Connecticut. At the 
time I came through New York, he assured me he could do better in 
sending men to Connecticut. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Will you not explain what vou mean by 
that remark about the |2200 ? 

A. Colonel Bailey was with me, and his business Avas to procure 
that, and he did accuse him of having it ; and yet, I have learned 
since, that he did obtain it ; but Ballou was not at that time recruit- 
ing for us, he was sending men to Connecticut, while he was holding 
a commission from Rhode Island. He probably had the money legit- 
imately. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You stated that he had money belonging 
to the State ? 

A. It did belong to the State, as Col. Bailey informed me. I do 
not know why he did not have it legitimately as agent of the State. 
He was a recruiting agent of the State. Here is a complaint of 
money obtained for a watch — don't know the name of the agent. 



ON BOUKTY FRAUDS. 223 

Q. Did not furnish the name of the agent ? 

A. No, sir ; I could not. It was impossible to hear all the com- 
plaints — but there have been complaints that I have felt conscien- 
tiously that these men were entitled to consideration. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did you say that you knew about his hold- 
ing this 12200. 

A. I only knew that he possessed an amount of that kind. I 
make the declaration like this. Upon passing through New York a 
part of Bailey's business was to see Ballou about this money ; as 
Captain Ballou was supposed to be out of the interest of this State 
and sending recruits to Connecticut. I was present when he requested 
Ballou to come to Rhode Island, and make that thing straight. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did he admit of having $2200 or did they 
parley about it ? 

A. This was a casual remark that he had the money. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas, Did he admit oi deny it? 

A. I do not remember what transpired in relation to that, I do 
not think he denied it. I think he promised the colonel — he was to 
come to Rhode Island — I think he said in a few days. I do not know 
what was done, as I said before, he accosted him in relation to this 
matter, and he promised to A'^isit Rhode Island, and straighten the 
matter up. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did he by the use of any language imply 
that he owed the State this money ? 

A. I cannot say in relation to that. I do not think he denied it, 
for they seemed to understand each other in the conversation, and 
while the conversation took place I had no part in it. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You have a good many men in that regi- 
ment, who have not even reported to you ? 

A. Major Engley is not in my regiment in any proper sense, and 
there are captains and lieutenants who are not. 

Q. By the Chairman. You have been looking in your memo- 
randum book to find the names of some persons who have purchased, 
and who had possession of some of these bogus watches ? 

A. I do not see any memoradums of those who have bought 
watches here. 

Q. Then you are not able to furnish the Committee with the 
name of any one of vour men who has purchased, what you call a 
bogus watch, of the recruitino; agents in this State ? 

A. At present I am not. I have no memorandum of it. I have 
a great many men in the regiment that have had them. On learning 
that the Committee had not got through with its duties, I applied, 
and shall still do so, to procure the documents that are in the posses- 
sion of Mr. Sheffield, and turn them over to the Committee. [Re- 
ceives them.] Here are the documents — statements that have been 
taken bv company commanders, and filed, and put into the hands of 
Mr. Sheffield. 

Q. Did you furnish these (a bundle of papers) to Mr. Sheffiel.d ? 

A. Yes, sir. 



224 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Where did you procure them ? 

A. I directed the commanders of companies to tell the men to 
file their complaints through the company oflficers. It was from no 
motive on my part, of distrust or disbelief of injustice on the part of 
this committee, but I was assured by Col. Smith, that it had flashed 
out. I have been three M'eeks on the Island without leaving there — 
on account of the small pox ; I have had no opportunities of getting 
to and from there, and have been continually applying myself to get- 
ting the disease under, so that I could get my command in shape 
to embark. These complaints — word came from my family that a docu- 
ment was there, I hardly knew what it was — of this damage. I turned 
my attention to placing the evidence of these parties swindling, strong 
enough to justify me in accusing them of what I chastised them for. 

Q. Did Col. Smith tell you that the Committee had flashed out ? 

A. Col. Smith assured me of that on Dutch Island. 

[See Certificate of Thomas Ray, on page 67.3 

Q. I wish to ask you about this certificate of Thomas Ray. Do 
you know him personally ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not. These men are men boring me from week 
to week. 

Q. You know nothing about the facts of this case ? He says, " I 
certify that I was compelled to take a watch for $25 by Major Engley 
which was taken out of my first bounty." That statement is indefi- 
nate ; it does not say that he had not purchased a watch and given an 
order ? 

A. I have never dictated how the affidavits should be taken. 

Q. These men might have been compelled by an agent and not 
by Major Engley ? 

A. I stand in a very unpleasant position. My object is to have 
sufficient evidence of the complicity of these men, in my abscence — 
in the event I am found guilty of injuring Luke Chace — a big scoun- 
drel in my opinion^ — and if I am caught in $3000 damages, I shall cer- 
tainly be able to show that these men are guilty of what I accused 
them of. To have my name used in connection with theirs and ban- 
tered around the street, is not agreeable, although I am not able from 
my social position to claim the patronage of the aristocratic. I don't 
cai'e a cent to command men who feel that they have to be swindled 
and abused. To state the names and circumstances and swear you 
saw yourself, is quite a difficult thing. 

Q. Is there any way that Thomas Ray can be brought before the 
committee and state his own case ? 

A. These men are all on Dutch Island now. These are only a 
small number of the complaints — ^they are from the third battalion. 
The other complaints were brought to Providence some time ago by 
my adjutant, and are probably now in the Paymaster General's hands 
— it was some time ago — at least, I have never seen them. 

Q. If there is any way in which you can bring these men before 
the committee, we will hear their statements and investigate it as far 
as possible. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 226 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did you cause them to be made ? 

A. I refer every man who makes complaints to the captain of his 
company. 

Q. It was done at your instance ? 

A. To relieve me from the continual complaints of the soldiers, I 
refer them to their captain. 

Q. Is there any one of all these complaints of which you can 
speak definitely ? 

A. I did not present them expecting to stand and swear for them. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. I ask you if there is a single one in this 
lot that you know particularly about, in your own knowledge ? 

A. I do not call them to mind — any particular one. 

Q. Were you present when either of these parties made these 
written statements ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you know of anything that goes to confirm this fact from 
the language ? 

A. From the language of the men. 

Q. You often speak about the whole regiment — I want particular 
cases ? 

A. I have been giving the names of the men on the occasion, 
where I can certify to the case, (Luke Chace,) but I have testimony 
of names in the regiment that I do not now think of — names that I 
can call up and say I know. 

Q. Have you now the names of any of the twelve? 

A. No, I do not know as there was twelve. 

Q. Have you a statement of either one of these men, a statement 
that either of these men bought of Engley anything of this class of 
goods, that leads to the idea that it was an unfair opei'ation ? 

A. I have. 

Q. Do you know of any of these statements ? Is it in your own 
knowledge in their case ? 

A. Only, in fact, I certify to. 

Q. I refer to these papers ? 

A. No, sir ; These statements are papers from an inferior to a 
superior officer, and a man has a right to bring them out as offered in 
evidence. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. I want to know, now, if there is a single 
case of these, that are in your own knowledge, that the act was com- 
mitted ? 

A. Not to my knowledge. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Then I want to know if you were present 
when these statements were made, and if you, by any conversation, 
learned about their names ? 

A. I do not remember the names. 

Q, You know whether you were present ? 

A. No, sir ; I was not. These were made at the quarters of the 
officers to which these men belonged. These are not made to me. 
They are required to make their complaints to their company officers 
and hand them in to the adjutant's office. 
29 



226 REPOKT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. That does not cover the point. I understand they were made 
at your instance and lately made ? 

A. These last papers were recently made. 

Q. Have you heard any of these statements ? 

A. I could not. 

Q. I now ask if you know by the language they used ? 

A. I was not present, these Avere written by the officers of the 
companies, not in my presence. They were written at my instigation ; 
but this is the fact that they wei-e referred to the captains of the com- 
panies for their complaints. 

Q. That I understand was a general complaint ; but here was a 
line of accusation being got up specially to show out this particular 
case. I dont know as it is of any particular interest to us until you 
get some information of your own knowledge. They did not write 
them ? 

A. Certainly not. 

Q. You did not undertake to get any information of your own 
knowledge, it will be presumed in any of these cases ? 

A. Why yes, sir ; the first six or eight men is a case in point. I 
can say they were present ; but as regards these men who brought 
these articles how can I affirm it. 

Q. You will notice in that statement that there is a grave charge 
against the Commissioner ? 

A. That charge should not have its weight; I would say. 

Q. What right have you as colonel of a regiment, or as a man, to 
make charges of that kind without any foundation so far as you 
know ? 

A' I have men who have sent their checks and they have been de- 
layed three months. 

Q. Have you seen the Commissioner in regard to them ? 

A. I have frequently seen the Commissioner. 

Q. Have you ever spoken to him about that check ? 

A. I do not remember of talking to him about this particular one. 

Q. Did you notice that ? 

A. I don't think I had noticed that particularly. 

Q. You say you have no personal knowledge in regard to these 
several complaints ? 

A. No, sir ; I should be very glad to have those accusations prove 
false, so far as I am concerned ; then I should know whether my men 
were practicing on me or not. 

Q. It is a little singular that charges of so grave a nature, and of 
so loose a character, should be scattered by you before the public, 

Avithout but I understand your explanation to be, that you did 

not intend to make it public ? 

A. My object in presenting those charges in relation to this, was, 
so fair, to leave sufficient evidence which should justify me in the 
course I was to take. 

Q. These \vere put i^ito your counsel's hands, to prepare him to 
defend vou against what yovt considered an unjust suit ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 227 

A. I believe that man to be sustained by those who should have 
brought him to justice — I cannot help feeling that he was sustained 
by parties who should have seen him punished. 

Q. To what parties do you refer? 

A. I would say that the assistants of the Governor had sustained 
liim, and censured me for the course I had pursued. 

Q. For what, in particular? 

A. Whenever I spoke of these men, I was told that I was injur- 
ing recruiting prospects in this State — when this man had a clear case 
of taking $20 from a recruit — Avliich he did ; I accosted him in rela- 
tion to it upon the street, and he says, " this is some more of your 
swindling investigations," or words to that effect — in relation to the 
investigation of the swindling of the men, and I was so incensed 
that I knocked him down, and I can say that he was sustained 
right off by these men who ought not to have sustained him. 

Q. And so the Governor censured you ? 

A. He ? no ; the Governor did not. 

Q. 1 ask you what particular thing he censured you for? 

A. I stand censured for that crime — I acknowledge it, in striking 
a man that I had no right to. 

Q. Did the Governor censure you for striking that man ? 

A. Col. Bailey was the man that took me to do for it. 

Q. I understood you, that the Governor censured you? 

A. I do not remember that I said so ; 1 was called to account by 
Col. Bailey, and the order was written by the very puppy who prac- 
ticed them upon the men, which Avas a double insult to me. I have 
had little to do in regard to this matter, in comparison with the re- 
cniiting agents. 

Q. Did you say that yon have made these statements public 
because those rascals were sustained by other parties that ought not 
to have sustained them ? 

A. At the time this affair took place, where I met Chace and 
Sheldon in the room where the sales took place, I reported that fact 
immediately to headquarters. 

Q. To the Governor? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What did the Governor say ? 

A. He assured me if I found thetn guilty— found evidence — to 
bring the men to justice, and he would see them (the soldiers ) pro- 
tected. The Governor has always had the kindest feelings towards 
the regiment. 

Q. But you did not furnish him with evidence ? 

A. I did not consider it my duty to furnish it to him. His in- 
structions to me were to get the evidence and bring them to justice ; 
I supposed that in any course I pursued I should be sustained. 

Q. You did tiot understand that you were to fiu'nish hirti the 
evidence ? 

A. No, sir ; that was not as I understood it. 

Q. What do you mean, then, when you say this Luke Chace and 
other parties have been sustained by the Governor ? 



228 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. I do not remember that I have ever stated that they were 
sustained by the Governor ; I have said they have been sustained 
only by the assistants of the Governor. Col. Bailey has repeatedly 
said to me, that when I complained of these men, I was interfering 
with the recruiting of my regiment. 

Q. The Governor has not told you so ? 

A. No, sir ; I had never had an unpleasant word with the Gover- 
nor, until this last difficulty. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did you ever make complaint of these 
things to the Governor ? 

A. I have. 

Q. Give us his reply ? 

A. I gave it a few moments ago. He told me to bring them to 
justice — ferret it out and get the evidence ; and until quite recently 
by the mere accident of a man's saying, he was in the room when I 
was there, and forbid this, I never should have had the names ? 

Q. When did you make this same complaint to Col Bailey ? 

A. I have made complaints since the first battalion organized in 
relation to the scoundrels whom I believed practiced upon my men. 

Q. Then you mean before and since you made complaint to the 
Governor. What was his reply ? 

A. That I was prejudiced against Major Engley. 

Q. You have made other complaints, besides those against Eng- 
ley. Aside from those practiced by Major Engley. Or do you mean 
that all these things have been, in your mind, practiced by one man ? 

A. No, I do not say, that all the imposition upon the soldiers have 
been practiced by one man. 

Q. Then I ask you, aid he make that reply to a particular case. 
He could not have made that reply when you made complaints of 
others than Major Engley ? 

A. In relation to the agents of Engley ? 

Q. I mean any others than Engley ? 

A. When it applied particularly to that office, it was most invari- 
ably replied that I was oppesed to Engley. 

Q. What was his reply in other cases ? 

A. When a watch peddler came into my camp besides those agents, 
he got booted out. 

Q. Now, I want to know what was his reply — what treatment 
you received, what remedy was proposed when you made complaints 
of others who practiced these things, than Major Engley. We want 
to know whether he treated all others in the same way ? 

A. I have had but few complaints, his was under my own control 
excepting those which come from that office. 

Q. You now finally mean that there were no complaints to Col. 
Bailey, or the State Department excepting those cases of Engley ? 

A. From the fact that when these nuisances came into my camp 
I abated them. 

Q. Do you mean to say that you have not made complaints from 
other than Major Engley, because all others were remedied by your- 
self? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 229 

A. I remember one complaint in reference to hacks in the vicini- 
ty of my camp, where they enticed my men from out of camp at 12 
o'clock at night, and the Governor gave me permission to block the 
street on the west side of the ground, although I did not carry the 
thing into effect as it would be a great inconvenience to the public. 

Q. Then the colonel always declined to assist you in speaking of 
this class of complaints ? 

A. He has done so in relation to these agents. I had no other 
motive. I was not prejudiced against Major Engley any more than 
any other man. I made these complaints with the solemn conviction 
that they were just, and that the men were being wronged. 

Q. Have you complained about orders on the paymaster, and if 
so, what did you do with those complaints ? 

A. Orders on the paymaster, no ; I do not call to mind now. 
Many of the men have complained that money has been retained and 
that I had more than they had — to send away. I think I have some 
men in camp free as the mountain air, who were never slaves on God's 
earth, who are represented on my roll as contrabands, and the pay is 
not so much as to the other class of recruits. 

Q. By the Chairman. Have you tried to see whether those com- 
plaints had a good foundation ? 

A. I have no other evidence than the assertions of the men 
who lived with these men in the country where they came from. I 
think there is one case in New York. 

Q. I want to get at something definite abovit this. Will you look 
at that ? 

[A complaint that the man had not received what he should of the 
second installment of bounty.] 

Q. Against whom do you understand that complaint to be made ? 

A. There are quite a number ot men who go up to the pay-table, 
and find they do not receive what they expected, and freely hand 
back what little there is due them, because they could not have the 
whole. 

Q. If there is any complaint against any man in that paper, who 
do you understand it to be ? Is that intended for a charge against 
the Paymaster ? 

A. Well, that man has no more bounty coming to him, (James 
Thompson,) and he asserts it. 

[The Chairman proceeded to examine carefully a large number of 
papers, containing complaints of the men of the Fourteenth regiment 
of various kinds.] 

Q. Here is the case of Bristow Francis ; have you reason to be- 
lieve that there is a foundation for that ? 

A. I do believe that these men have been deprived of their 
bounty. 

Q. No, I mean this particular case ? 

A. That complaint was made directly after the man came to 
camp. 

Q. That he has been charged with a watch which he has never 
received ? 



230 rp:port of finance committee 

A. Well, we have had men complain of goods charged to them 
which they never have had, and it has been taken from their pay, 
and there has been no evidence that they did have them. I have 
been slow to accuse ; but the indifferent way in which these goods 
have been sold. There never has been any change at all — all even 
dollai's — no such thing as fifty cents — square change. 

Q. Where is the man now ? 

A. I believe he is in camp^ he is in company I. 

Q. Can you send him up to us ? 

A. Yes, sir. We hare these watches in the regiment, a great 
many of them now ; men barter them about and consider them good 
for nothing. 

Complaint of sergeant John »Iackson, Co. I, 14th Regt., charges 
that $25 was taken out of his first bounty, when he had not signed 
any order for such an amount to be deducted — ^by Major Engley. 

Statement of corporal Richard Clarke, Co. I, 14th Regt. Bill 
presented for $11 worth of goods, said to have been purchased of Mr. 
Barnaby — never bought any goods of him. 

Statement of Lawrence Payne, Co. I, 14th Regt. Compelled to 
take a watch and pair of boots, which were messmates', &c. 

Questions by Mk. Thomas. 

Q. In reply to the letter of Amos D. Smith, 3d., about receivuig 
traders into camp, you will remember that I asked you a considerable 
many questions upon this subject — you say here, " it having been as- 
serted that I have made a large amount of money, I would say that 
I was never interested, &c. The first intimation I had of it, &c." 
You mean that as substantially true ? 

A. That was the first intimation I had that they intended to send 
men to sell goods. My hrst battalion was supplied with goods with- 
out any knowledge on my part whatever. 

Q. Parties came into camp to sell them goods ? 

A. That battalion was on Dexter Training Ground, and a jNIajor in 
command of that battalion ; while the battalion was to leave, the first 
battalion, under Major Comstock, Was supplied here, and I was not 
conscious of it. 

Q. Who was the regimental sutler at that time? 

A. It was a man by the name of Rathbun. 

Q. At the tiriie that these goods were supplied by other parties 
in the streets, by order of Col. Smith ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did Rathbun keep these same goods that they bought in the 
streets ? 

A. I do not kiiow to what extent. He kept the goods. 

Q. Col. Smith says the weather had become very cold, and that 
they wanted stockings and boots, and woolen shirts, and that the sut- 
tler then did not supply them, and that they were complaining that 
many of them had severe colds, and they were making more com- 
plaints, and when he entered the camp thoy asked him if they could 
not be supplied ; and he came down and told the Governor how 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. ' 231 

prevalent tliese colds were, and asked him what he should do ; and 
he said, pei'haps you had better make some arrangement to have them 
supplied, and that then he did make the arrangement with certain 
parties, and that he reported to those quarters, and that they came 
down there, and that they bought themselves and not through him. 
Did you understand it that way ? 

A. I could not tell what the arrangement was, 

Q. AVhat part of the testimony do you contradict ? 

A. I do not contradict any. 

Q. You have just made the remark that Col. Smith supplied the 
other battalion ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I know that he did since. 

Q. I want you to say from your own knowledge. 

A. I only took his own word for it. 

Q. Then you must contradict his own word? 

A. That he made this arrangement for the 1st battalion. 

Q. If you mean to say thet he made an arrangerpent to come 
down and supply these men ? 

A. I mean to say that I knew nothing of furnishing the 1st bat- 
talion at the time. 

Q. At the time,— you did swear that Col. Smith su])plied. You 
do not mean that he supplied? 

A. I mean to say that from the tenor of his own letter he sup- 
plied the 2d battalion. 

Q. I want to speak of this particular one. 

A. He did not to my knowledge have any thing to do with the 
1st battalion, any more than any other man on the street. I knew 
nothing of it — nothing of the sale until he wrote me the letter 
requesting me to make these people comfortable. 

Q. Did you not know before he wrote that letter, that these par- 
ties were coming down there — asking you to receive them ? 

A. I do not remember of knowing anything about it until that 
time. 

Q. Have you not had a conversation with him before that, about 
the wants of the regiment down there, and have you not understood 
from him distinctly that they were coming, and you kne,w the partic- 
ular parties and what goods they were going to sell, and Avas not this 
letter following the arrangement you knew was made ? 

A. No, sir ; I was not ; for when that letter came into camp, I ex- 
pected trouble in relation to it, and had it upon the arrival. I did 
have since I remember- — a day or two before, there was something said 
in relation to it. 

Q. Then you did know something about it before this letter ? 
A. I am not positive now, but that I did have something to say in 
relation to it ; but when he came into camp I placed him in my hos- 
pital tent. 

Q. Then in fact you did know before you received this letter ? 

A. About that time, sir. 

Q. No, not about, you knew it before ; if you knew it at all. You 
did not have this conversation after the letter ? 



332 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. No ; I think lie said something in relation to it before. I 
think he did now. 

Q. You say here you know — that you knew nothing about it 
until you received this letter ? 

A. There was nothing definite in relation to it. I did know of 
his selling to the second battalion from him. 

Q. You published this letter that you knew nothing about it — 
that this matter was forced upon you, and of course you mean to 
imply that there was some unfairness ? 

A. What I mean to say, Mr. Thomas, is, that I knew nothing 
about it substantially, of the fact of his coming to the Island to bring 
goods. 

Q. Of their coming ? you mean the traders then ? 

A. Until I received his note ; that was the first information in 
substance. 

Q. But you had had a conversation with him ? 

A. There had been a conversation that he had furnished the 
other battalion, and an intimation that he was going to itirnish this. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. How long before this ? 

A. That was a very short time. I had no intimation that he was 
going to establish these men there as he did, until I received this 
letter. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. The conversation you had with Mr. Smith, 
previous to this letter, was of a trivial character. It did not make 
much impression upon your mind — you did not expect they were 
coming in that shape — you did not know in what shape? 

A. I did not know in what shape. 

Q. B}' Mr. Thomas. But you did understand that they were 
coming down with supplies? 

A. Something was said ; I do not know what, but that was the 
only official notice. 

Q. It was not necessary to have an official notice ? 

A. He had always given orders as a staff officer. Col. Smith 
assumes that he has not the power. I have felt so, and I have telt 
constrained to obey his orders. 

Q. Have you an organization down there ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Competent to establish its own sutlery? 

A. I thought so. 

Q. Your testimony and his with regard to your mutual under- 
standing about these traders going in there do not agree. 

A. There is no officer in the regiment but will bear me out in 
saying, it was objectionable to me. I did not complain after they came 
therein regard to the quality of the goods sold, as they will testify. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. You stated on your first examination — the 
question was asked you "have the prices compared," — you stated that 
some of theni. were very fair and others exorbitant. 

A. Yes, sir ; there is an article that is exorbitant for a dollar — 
quite a number of them sold. Sutlers are as liable to charge exorbi- 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 233 

tant prices as any other men, and I was in duty bound to send all 
such complaints to the Council of Administration. 

Q. Now you say that you have no interest in this thing. In res- 
pect to a thing which I will just say has gone into . 

A. I never heard of it before this affair. The mustering officer 
made an inquiry of me to know if I was interested in selHng these 
goods, and repeated accusations or intimations that the colonel must be 
aware of it, or he would not tolerate it in his regiment. 

Q. Was that trade going on different from what had then gone 
through the sutler's hands ? 

A. Yes,- sir. 

Q. Do you now testify that you had no interest in the profits or 
results of the trade of these people ? 

A. I do. I never stipulated to any arrangement or invested a 
cent. 

Q. Have you ever had, or do you ever expect to have, any bene- 
fits from it ? 

A. I did receive some clothing from Mr. Barnaby — as most every 
officer has some little items. I received a present from Mr. Barnaby, 
but I did not suppose it was at all to interfere with my views in re- 
gard to the right and wrong, however. 

Q. You received a present from Mr. Barnaby, who was one of 
the traders that came down there with these goods ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Will you go on and tell us all the benefits you realized and 
what else you expect to realize in consequence of having these tra- 
ders in camp ? 

A. The regiment should realize a per cent, as upon all sutler's 
sales. 

Q. Did the regiment receive nothing from these traders ? 

A. No, sir. They did from the sutler. 

Q. Have you of your own self, realized anything ? 

A. Not other than I say, presents. 

Q. There may be very small presents or large ones. The ques- 
tion may all be embodied in that single idea. 

A. You might implicate almost everybod}^ — my whole regiment 
makes me a present. It is not to be implied that I 

Q. Have you not in fact received from each of these traders some 
consideration either for kindness, services or permission ? 

A. The present I received was asserting my kindness to him, for 
making him comfortable in my quarters, and this was the very order, 
I felt in duty bound. I have always said, I never blamed these 
traders. 

Q. You facilitated their success ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I made them comfortable. I felt in duty bound to 
do so. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. You did not feel any obligation ? 

A. Not at all. 

30 



234 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Any other traders make you a present. I understood that 
you received one from Mr. Barnaby ? 

A. I have received from Mr. Huntoon a pipe. I smoke tobacco 
— a bamboo. What I have done has been with an honest intention. 
Nor did I ever think at the time that these parties would make me a 
present for the purpose of buying me, for I was as clamorous at the 
time as I am to day, as you know or can learn upon investigation. 

Q. By Chairman. Did I understand you that you protested 
against their coming into camp ? 

A. No, sir ; I protested against the sale of certain articles that 
they brought there for sale. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. What articles? 

A. Articles not necessary for men who Avere going into a warmer 
climate — large top boots, and long hose and under garments that 
would, probably, be cast off before the}'- were five days at sea. 

Q. Well, it has been said that you advocated their coming, and 
did it to such an extent that your surgeon felt himself annoyed from 
the coming of these parties ? 

A. We ran against the surgeon by taking this hospital tent. He 
said, " wc cannot spare this tent." I showed him the order for it, 
and said I, " doctor, it must be had." The next time he (Col. Smith) 
comes down, he tells me to put my sutler off" in an hour, and a man 
who was allowed to peddle in a basket, and never made any extrava- 
gant sales — a man who never sold liquor, and whom I never caught 
in any exorbitant transaction ; a man who I had allowed to sell, sub- 
ject to the order of the sutler, who did not think he hurt him any. 
Col. Smith told this peddlar to clear out. 

Q. Had not you previously made arrangements with Col. Smith, 
that no traders should be allowed on the Island ? Did not you stick 
up public notices that no traders should be adowed — 

A. I had never stuck up any notices. 

Q. Did not you show Col. Smith a notice made for public exhibi- 
tion ? 

A. I never stuck up a notice in camp. 

Q. Did you ever show Col. Smith a notice that you forbid traders 
and, among other things, declaring that no traders should be admitted? 

A. I do not remember of having the sutler's prices, to my knowl- 
edge, ever fixed. Everything to the sutler has been said verbally. 

Q. Have not you made a sign in some form or other, for the 
purpose of putting up to be read — I suppose at tlie landing of the 
ferries — declaring that no traders were permitted to come upon the 
Island, and into camp, and had not you made that arrangement with 
Col. Smith, and in consideration of his paying others? 

A. That is wrote them all — I say no. 

Q. You never showed him any such sign ? 

A. Not in connection with him ; I never had any such under- 
standing — never made anything — never had an}' other arrangement, 
other tiian that thev were welcome at my quarters as a friend, when- 
ever he saw fit to come and go. I am surprised. 



0>" BOUNTY FRAUDS. 235 

Q. Did the man who peddled with a basket sell boots ? 

A. I think he might have done so. I thing he took — 

Q. Carried them in a basket? 

A, Yes, sir ; basket or carpet bag ; whatever he carries round. 
He would take an order for these boots from the men, and then come 
to Pi'ovidence and buy them. He used to peddle other things — 
cleaning material for the muskets. He commenced it at Dexter 
ground. He commenced it when I was raising my first battalion. 
That man is known well by every officer, and his conduct was such, 
and his woe-begone look that nobody could have a heart to turn him 
off, unless it was the old sutler. 

Q. Now will you testify — will you tell all you have ever received? 

A. I testify that I have received presents of clothing. I received 
— Mr. Snow made me a present of a pair of boots, and made me a 
present of a pair of sh'ppers. 

Q. By the Chairman. I do not understand that Col. Viall 
means to say now, that he disapproved of these men's coming into 
camp at the time and manner that they did. I do not understand 
you to say that you disapproved — 

A. No, not particular!}'. That letter was sufficient. 

Q. I do not suppose that you would have accepted any present, if 
you disapproved ? 

A. That letter was sufficient to make me satisfied with their being 
sent there. 

Q. Well, you did not object on other grounds ? 

A. No, sir; but when it was stated that I had an interest in it, I 
attached that statement to that letter, to assert that I had not, nor 
was I pecuniarily benefitted by it. 

Q. Then you did not mean to say by publishing that letter — you 
did not mean to reflect upon Col. Smith as being a party interested 
in that trade ? 

A. No other parties. The substance of that letter was what was 
brought about by those parties — the first approach to my camp — when 
he intimated an intention of sending them there. 

Q. I want to ask you, if the first sutler you had there, you 
turned out of camp because he sold liquor ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. It is within your own knowledge ? 

A. It is within my own knowledge. I can prove it by evidence. 

Q. What was his name ? 

A. Rathbun. 

Q. Why did you not permit him to stop on Dutch Island, when 
not there trading ? 

A. I gave Inm when I decided that he should leave — I will tell 
you. He had ample time when each company was paid off: he Avas 
invariably present with Col. Francis and Col. Smith at the pay table, 
at different times, and the last time he came down, I could not con- 
ceive of any object he had. I knew he talked — he abused me in 
camp ; men reported to me, and I requested a sergeant major to have 



236 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

him leave camp. The tuo; was on the other side and about to go off, 
and if I remember riglit the reply of Col. Smith was, " If he leaves 
the Island I leave. We may as well have a funeral to day as any 
other day," and he loaded his pistol then and there I am told. 

Q. He would outrank you? 

A. I have been outranked there from the beginning. A recruit- 
ing agent outranks me in Rhode Island. For the abusive language 
he used in the presence of the men, I ordered him off — he went off 
the Island when they went. I could not forego the payment of my 
troops for the case of a man that was objectionable to me. I do not 
hesitate to say that he was as objectionable to the officers in the regi- 
ment who knew him — when I have had to get out of bed in the 
middle of the night to suppress insubordination, caused by liquor, and 
sold by him — that's enough. Capt. Gordon, who built the buildings 
down there, and who came down on the tug with me, passed twelve 
of his men drunk and discharged them summarily. I was obliged, in 
one case of insubordination, to lay out two men before I could sup- 
press it, for I had nine hundred men and only five officers, and at that 
time the men were having it pretty much their own way. I told Mr. 
Rathbun that I could not stand it then. 

Q. It was not because he did not pay you more money? 

A. $75 was all I ever charged him — I never asked him any more. 
When he came to me on Dexter ground, he said he had suttled for 
two regiments with the consent of Gen. Robbins, and paid him $75. 
It is necessary to have an exclusive trade, because you cannot have 
the men running out of camp when they please. 

TESTIMONY OF MAJOR S. P. SANFORD. 

[The receipts referred to in Mr. Bailey's testimony having been 
produced by him.] 

Mr. Sheffield. In reference to this money, wdio paid it to General 
Frieze ? 

Major Sanford. I am not positive ; I may have done it myself. 

Gen. Cooke. Did I ever make any account against the United 
States for these horses ? 

Answer. I don't know whether you did or not. The accounts 
were made out against the United States. They were always made 
out in your office. I have never had any account that was not made 
out in your office. I think. General, that on some of them, the ap- 
proval is in your hand writing. You must have known about some 
of them. I could not tell who made them out. My impression is, 
that Mr. Metcalf might have made them out. They were made out 
from data that I never saw. I might have two hours notice to start 
for Washington at night, whatever was wanting. 

Gen. Cooke. Do you know whether I ever did see these accounts? 

Answer. I do not. I never made out any of these accounts. I 
may have presented the account to you for signature. In many of 
the accounts, such as the Quartermaster General's supplies, the ac- 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 237 

count would be looked over carefully, sometimes by yourself, and 
sometimes by your clerks. TJiere were bills connected with this 
State that you did make out — the forage bills. You recollect one 
time you came to me and said you could not understand one fact ; i. e. 
that the account at the Globe Bank was overrun by a large amount. 
Did not this transaction take place at that time ? 

Gen. Cooke. No, sir. 

Mr. Bailey. The money did go to redeem the private indebted- 
ness ; and the accounts of the Globe Bank were not kept with the 
Quartermaster General. I find among my papers some copies ren- 
dered to the department certified by Gen. Cooke, and presumed they 
were made out at his direction. 

Gen. Cooke. Major Sanford says they must be made out in the 
name of the State in order to get the money. 

Mr. Bailey. There is the evidence of irregularity as I contend. 
The bills were rendered from the State of Rhode Island to the United 
States Government, and receipted for. 

Mr. Bailey. The fact that any such accounts existed should have 
appeared on the books of the Quartermaster General. The impres- 
sion with the Conunittee was, that there was a disposition to keep 
that account out of sight. There was an account for the purchase of 
horses, and the losses accruing from the use of the money, were all 
charged to the State ; and if parties made a contract to furnish horses, 
the burden should have come upon them and not upon the State, for 
the State had nothing to do with it. 

Mr. Jackson. If you or I had been in the same position, we should 
have adopted the same course. 

Gen. Cooke. I don't see how you could arrive at any such con- 
clusion, because I was not called upon in submitting my cash account 
to mention anything about what was owing, that had not been paid. 
But for fear I might rest under such an imputation, and take occasion 
to state on opening my cash account, that the State owed the Globe 
Bank so many thousand dollars, and that sum had been received of 
the United States Government, but it was in certificates of indebted- 
ness. They were not worth par. When the time arrived we got 
par. The ti'ansaction does appear on the book. You know, Mr. 
Bailey, that you said at the time, " why : we should not have known 
anything about it unless you had told us of it in the opening of your 
account?" 

Mr. Bailey. Yes, sir, precisely so. The order of Secretary Cam- 
eron had no reference to this transaction. It was under Governor 
Sprague's administration. 

Q. Have you either directly or indirectly derived any gratui- 
ty, pay, emolument or profits, either from recruits, recruiting 
officers or from the State for recruiting services, or in an}'- way or 
account thereof, and if so, how much ? And what ? State the 
amount of all you have so received, and from whom you received it ? 

A. I have never received either directly or indirectly any gratui- 
ty, pay, emolument or profits from recruits or recruiting officers, if I 



238 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

except a box of cigars, or some small favor of this nature from officers 
sometimes in my intercourse ^Yith them. 

1831. I received from the adjutant general during the year 1861, 
for recruiting purposes and services, about one thousand dollars 81000. 

I also received from the quartermaster and adjutant general /or saZ- 
ary for recruiting and other services from April to December, during 
the year 1881, about seventeen hundred- dollars, 81700. 

I received from Earl P. Mason for recruiting purposes in 1861, 
two hundred dollars, which I paid over to quartermaster general 
Frieze, 8200. 

I also received from the quartermaster in the year 18G1, about 
thirty thousand ■ dollars, (8^0,000,) Avhich will be found properly 
accounted for in the quartermaster general's report of that year. 

1862. I received from quartermaster general Frieze, during the 
year, 1862, as near as I can estimate about 81100. (My salary being 
paid by the United States.) 

I860. I received from the quartermaster general during the year 

1863, for recruiting purposes and settling accounts of the State with 
the United States, about 82400. Of this sum about fifteen hundred 
dollars was for expenses, settling claims of the State, and nine hun- 
dred dollars for recruiting purposes. 

I received from Crawford Allen for recruiting purposes, two hun- 
dred and fifteen dollars, (8216) which two hundred and fifteen dollars 
I paid to the enlisted men in addition to their bounty, including ex- 
penses paid to runners. 

1864. I received from the quartermaster general during the year 

1864, for expenses, settling claims of the State with the United 
States ; salary as State agent ; for recruiting purposes and services 
about sixteen hundred dollars, 81600. 

1865. I have received for recruiting purposes, and for salary, ser- 
vices as superintendent of recruiting embracing a portion of the year 
1864, about thirteen hundred dollars, 81300. 

TESTIMONY OF PROVOST MARSHAL WM. E. HAMLIN. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

February 18, 1864. 

Question. State if you please, Capt. Hamlin, what your official 
position is ? 

Answer. I am Provost Marshal of the 1st district of Rhode 
Island. 

Q. Have you any connection with the recruiting business carried 
on in this State ? _^ 

A. None at all, sir. There was an order issued by the Provost 
Marshal General's Department, appointing the Provost Marshals I'e- 
cruiting officers ; but in this State and the State of Massachusetts, I 
believed at the request of the Chief Magistrates of the States, it "vvas 
left with the State authorities. The Provost Marshals have no au- 
thority, at least in this State, and I beheve in Massachusetts. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 239 

Q. Have you had any occasion to know anything about the man- 
ner in which recruiting has been done in this State ? 

A. I have had occasionally complaints of «-ases where parties who 
came to me. I have some affidavits in my pockets that I took, and I 
examined a case of some colored men. I don't know whether that 
case comes under your notice or not. I have so much on my mind, 
that I have nothing arranged ; here is a case of Mrs. Deborah Irons. 
It is merely a memorandum made by Mrs. Deborah Irons living, in 
Olneyville : 

(Reads the following :) 

Mrs. Deborah Irons lives in Olneyville, near the Episcopal Church, (Waterman's 
Lane,) states that her son Welcome A. Irons, a minor, enlisted in the 3d R. I. Cav- 
alry with his mother's consent. He was rejected by the mustering officer for being 
under size. Seven weeks ago, last Thursda}' Corscaden, the recruiting officer took 
Irons to Attleboro and enlisted him in the 58th Massachusetts regiment. Company G. 
He is now in camp at ReadvUle. The town of Attleboro gives one hundred dollars 
additional to the other bounties to fill her quota. Corscaden has drawn the town 
bounty $100, due Irons, and now holds it against Irons consent. The mother wants 
to obtain this bounty money from Corscaden. 

Cases of that kind and complaints of that kind come to me almost 
daily. A woman will come and say that her son has been enlisted 
without her consent ; that the recruiting officer got him drinik and 
enticed him away, or induced him to enlist, and the habeas' corpus 
being suspended, you cannot do anything. If the U. S. Mustering 
Officer comes to pass upon them, and rejects them, he is clear, and 
that is the only way he can be freed. 

Q. What is the complaint in this case? 

A. This is a case where Corscaden obtained f 100 due to the man. 
In the first place, he takes a man belonging to this State, and carries 
In'm to Massachusetts, and instead of allowing the man to get his 
$100 bounty, he gets bu order from the man and draws the town 
bounty, and now holds it against Irons' consent. I sent for Corsca- 
den. I have some difficulty with such cases. You cannot find the 
plea for what they do. He is one of the men employed to bring in 
recruits. He has a substitute office on High street. Here is a case 
that has more properly come under your notice. 

(Read case of William Leonard.) 

I, William Leonard, of Gibson county, Indiana, to the best of my knowledge and 
belief, am over fifty years of age. I do solemnly swear that I was enlisted in the 
14th Regiment Colored Heavy Artdlery, of Rhode Island, on the first day of Decem- 
ber, 1863; tiiat I was rejected by Capt. Silvey, the U. S. Mustering Officer for Rhode 
Island, as too old for the service ; that a squad of eleven rejected men from tlie44th 
Kegiment, that these men were all sent from the camp to the city of Providence, and 
quartered in Railroad Hall for about ten days, when we were sent for to go to Major 
Engley's recruiting office. Major Engley and Mr. Chace were present. They de- 
clined to give us transportation home, and said that we must all go to Massachusetts 
and enlist, where we could get $325 cash bounty, or they would send the whole of us 
down to the Island — both Major Engley and Mr. Chace said this — I told tliem that, 
having been rejected by the mustering officer, I had no right to enlist anywiiere else. 
Mr. Chace said that Captain Silvey had no interest for the colored man. Major Eng- 
ley said tiiat he wanted no more words about the matter— that if the men did not go 



240 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

to Massachusetts, they must be sent down to the Island. Two of the men went away 
to-day with one of the recruitina: officers. One of them was named James H. Dubois, 
the other was Jacob Freman; they had botli been rejected by Capt. Silvey. 

WM. E. X LEONARD 
mark. 
"Witness: Geo. A. Holbrook. 

Personally appeared before me the within named Wm. Leonard, this thirteenth day 
of January, 1864, and made oath to the annexed statement, subscribed to by him as 
true, to the best of his knowledge and belief. 

WM. E. HAMLIN, 

Justice of the Peace. 

Q. Who is this Mr. Chace ? 

A. One of the recruiting men ; he belongs at No. 10, Custom 
House street — Luke Chace. This man was taken, I think, at Capt. 
Silvey 's office. 

(Reads Affidavit of John li. Courad.) 
I, John n. Conrad, from Juniatta county. State of Pennsylvania, do solemnly swear 
that 1 am twenty-one years of age ; that I came to Rhode Island for the purpose of 
enlisting in t!ie 14th Regiment Colored Ileav}' Artillery. Have been liere about eight 
weeks ; was examined and sworn into the service ; after my enlistment, I was attacked 
with Paralysis of the face, and was unfit for military service. Capt. Silvey, the U. 
S. Mustering Officer, declined to muster me, and I was rejected from the service as 
unfit on account of jihysical disability. After leaving camp, I went to Major Engley's 
office, and talked with Major Engley and Mr. Chace, who is in the office ; I asked for 
transportation home. There were about eleven of us present who had been sent for 
to go to the office. Mr. Cliace said that Capt. Silvey was an enemy to the colored 
man, that he was a slaveholder, and was opposed to doing an^'thing to help the col- 
ored man. Mr. Chace said that we could not be discharged, and that we must either 
go to Massach\isetts and enlist, or he should send us all down ta the Island. He 
promised us §325 cash bounty, to go to Massachusetts, and said we must go this after- 
noon — 1 think it was Attleboro' or Readville, where he was going to take us — I 
declined to go, but they have got my name. The names of those Mr. Chace has 
down to go to Massachusetts, are: AVm. Leonard, Wm. Hughes, Eben. Brown, H. 
Dubois, Jacob Freman, Isaac Maynard. Major Kngley was present, and said that we 
could get S325cash down ; that if we did not go to Massachusetts and enlist, we must 
all go down to the Island. The above named persons have all been rejected from the 
service by Cai)t. Silvey, U. S. Mustering Officer, on the 31st day of December, 1863, 
and since then, have all been retained here against our wishes. 

JOHN H. CONRAD. 

Sworn to and subscribed before me, this day, January 12th, 1864, at Providence, R. I. 

WM. E. HAMLIN, 

Justice of the Peace. 

We, the subscribers, were present in Major Engley's office this day, and were wit- 
nesses to all that wis caid by Major Engley and Mr. Chnee, and we certify that the 
above statement of John H. Conrad is true, in every particular, as regards the threat 
to send us back to camp if we did not go to Massachusetts and enlist, 

WILLIAM n. HUGHES. 
EBENEZER BROWN. 
Witness: Patrick Davoren. 
Providence, January 12th, 186 . 

A. By Captain Hamlin. After this affidavit, Captain Silvey, re- 
ported them to the Governor, and Major Engley said that the affida- 
vits were not fair, because Engley was not present. Captain Silvey 
said he did not intend to have anything unfair, and asked that I might 
have these men appear before me in my office, and invited Engley and 
Sanford to be presentt The time was appointed and the parties were 
all present, except Major Engley who was sick. I made some pencil 
minutes of the result of the examination. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 241 

Headquarters First District, State of Rhode Island, ? 
Provost Marshal's Office. I 

Providence, January 13, 1864. 
An examination of the following men held at the Provost Marshal's office of the 
1st District: John H. Conrad, P^benezer Brown, William Leonard, Joseph Johnston, 
Isaac Maynard, Perry Ward, James Moseley. 

Mr. Chace and Major Sanford. 
The aflSdavits were read ; when Mr. Chase asked the question of the men, if he 
told them tiiat they must enlist in Massachusetts or be sent down to the Island. They 
all answered that he did. Mr. Chace asked a number of questions of AVilliam Leon- 
ard ; Leonard adhered to his answer, and said, that last night Chace locked him and 
seven others up in a room, and would not let them out even to pass their water with- 
out a guard. He told Chaee it was false imprisonment, he had not committed any 
crime, but he was not permitted to leave the room. Mr. Chace said that he 
thought the oflRce was most comfortable tor the men ; that the door was locked during 
an examination to keep the men togetlier. Major Sanford said, there was a question 
between Captain Silvey and the Governor about holding rejected men, and that ques- 
tion having been decided this morning, that all the men would be sent home to-morrow. 

The result of this examination was, that these eleven men that 
were sent down to the Island, were either rejected for being too old 
or too young, and they came up here according to agreement with 
the man who came from Ohio. They should have been sent down to 
the Island, but instead of sending them there they were sent to Rail- 
road Hall and locked up. Major Sanford said this was entirely un- 
known to him : but Engley and Chace knew and kept them over 
night. The next morning, early, only 3 or 4 o'clock, they started 
down to Massachusetts, and one or two of them passed. 1 sent an 
officer down and ascertained how many of them passed, and that is 
the sequel of those affidavits. 

Q. Where are these men now, after this examination ? 

A. I said to Major Sanford, that these men must go home at once, 
and he said they should, and I think that the very next train, next 
morning, carried them away. The point was, why were these men 
kept, except that these men wanted to get two bounties, and make 
something on them. 

Q. Have you heard of any other instances of this nature ? 

A. I have had applications of another kind. A number of men 
coming into the office and desiring to know when they could enlist 
without being swindled. They did not like to go through this pro- 
cess of enlisting them. They did not know how much money they 
were going to get, or anything about it. I have occasionally sent 
them to Major Sanford, as he was recruiting agent; but I don't know 
what became of them. Here is the case of a colored man who came 
to my office. 

(Reads the case of David S. Greene.) 

Headquarters First District, State of Rhode Island, I 
Provost Marshal's Office. ) 

Providence, 186 . 
I, David S. Greene, of Harrisburg, Pa., am twenty-four years of age. I do solemn- 
ly swear that I came to this city of Providence, the week before Christmas, to enlist 
in the 14th Regt. H. A. Dr. Gardiner declined to pass me at that time, because I had 
a disease. He said that he could cure me, and then pass me. On Monday, the first 
of February last. Dr. Gardiner said that he would pass me in two days. I have had 
my uniform about three weeks; I went with sergeant Bush to get the uniform. This 
was before I was sworn in. I got the uniform at the State clothing department of 

31 



242 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

the Q. M. General. I was sworn in about two weeks ago, in company of about a 
dozen others. I signed four papers. On Monday last, after Dr. Gardiner said that 
he would pass nie, they told me that I rould go home. They gave me tickets for 
New York, and the pass which I have. I do not know why they sent me home. I 
concluded not to go that evening to New York. 

DAVID S. GREENE. 
Sworn to before me, this day, February third, 1864, in the city of Providence. 

WM. E. HAMLIN, 

Justice of the Peace. 

Headquarters First District, State of Khode Island, | 
Provost Marshal's Office. \ 

Providence, 18G . 
(Copy.) 

Providence, Feb. 1st, 1864. 
Pass the bearer, David S. Green, a rejected man from 14th Regt. H. A. 
By order of 
(Signed) J. C. ENGLEY, 

J. W. Notes, Att'y. Maj. 14th Eegt. H. A. 

I certify that this is a true copy of the original, 

WM. E. HAMLIN, 

Capt. and Pro. Marshal. 

I sent the man to Captain Silvey, the mustering officer, the only 
man who rejects men, and he said he had rejected no such man. 

Q. By Mr. Blake, His jjass extends to New York only ? 

A. His pass extends everywhere. It is a general pass. I sent to 
know what that paper meant, and they said that the man had never 
been sworn in, and that he came there and was waiting to be sworn 
in. It has the appearance of a case — one of a class of cases which 
gets the officers round to get the bounty — then the man is sent off to 
enlist and the bounty money gets into the pockets of the officers. It 
is one of those things which it is difficult to get at. This pass was 
directed to the Railroad Superintendent, That is the pass these men 
carry to prevent being arrested by the Provost Guard. 

Q. Is it usual to sign these official papers by an attorney ? 

A. No, sir. I don't know that I have overseen anything of that 
kind. But there are a good many things not usual in this matter. 
Some short time ago I had a proof of this. I can tell you a circum- 
tance of a man on the bridge. One of these recruiting men, by the 
name of White," he wears a hat with a straw cord around it, and these 
poor fellows who came to enlist, call him a lieutenant or a captain. 
This man White enlisted a man by the name of — no, a man by the 
name of Raymond enlisted a man named Samuel Nelson Holmes ; 
sent him down to camp, (why not in his uniform I don't know,) — ot 
the cavalry camp I am now speaking — in two days he deserts. Infor- 
mation reaches my office, that the deserter Holmes can be found at 
Plymouth, Mass, I wrote a letter to Provost Marshal Hatch, at New 
Bedford, to have such a man arrested. He arrested the man and sent 
him by the usual course to Boston and from there here, and I sent 
him down to camp as a deserter. The commander of the camp Lieut. 
Col. Parkhurst, inquires for Holmes' recruiting papers and they are 
not to be found, and Parkhurst says, we cannot hold this man ; he 
does not belong to the service ; we have no authority to keep him ; 
and he is dismissed the camp. He star<s for home and in a few weeks 



ON BOUKTY FRAUDS. 243 

perhaps — a couple of weeks after — this man Raymond is missing, the 
recruiting man ; and information reaches me from (^ol. Sayles that 
something is wrong about Raymond. In about half an hour, I dis- 
patched one of my officers off to Taunton, near Mansfield to ar- 
rest the man Raymond, and get what papers he could find. I 
wanted the papers more than the man, if I could find them. The 
next train brought the officer back with this man. In his pocket 
the first thing that Avas found, was the recruiting papers of Samuel 
Nelson Holmes, who was dismissed from camp because his papers 
could not be found ; also in this man's pocket was found a letter 
addressed to Dr. Gardiner, and signed by W. T. Davis, (Ihairman of 
the select men of the town of Plymouth, requesting Dr. Gardiner to 
re-examine Mr. Raymond, with the view of having him discharged 
from the service. The other letter requested the same of three other 
men, with a view of having the men discharged from the service. 
Beside these letters, was a free pass, signed by W. T. Davis, Chair- 
man of the select men of the town of Plymouth, for the purpose of 
recruiting in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The evident intention was 
for this man, under the appearance and guise of having enlisted the 
men for the Third Cavalry, for them to run away and enlist in Mas- 
sachusetts. After I found these papers of Samuel Nelson Holmes', 
I again sent Capt. Hall for Holmes, and he was arrested, and I have 
him the second time. This Raymond, it seems, went to his father 
and told him that he had certain papers in his pocket, and that, for 
$10 he would destroy them. This is the kind of business going on, 
on the bridge every day. Now, the man foremost in this Raymond 
business, is a man by the name of Gleason, as big a scamp as ever 
went un-hung. This man Raymond says that Gleason — as soon as I 
found these papers I sent for Gleason ; I asked him where those 
papers were, and how many there were. Well, three had gone down 
to camp, and I have the other in my pocket, and he said he would 
look for it, and took half an hour and was very industrious ; said I, 
" I don't believe you have it." I then took out the four papers and 
asked what that meant, and he guessed that was a forgery. Colonel 
Sayles was present, and said, " I am not fond of writing my name, 
but that is my signature." " Now," said I to Gleason, " How did 
this man Raymond get possession of these papers?" Said he, " he 
must have taken that down to camp, and the others out of my pocket." 
The consequence was, that Capt. Gleason could not explain in any 
other way, and I told Mr. Sayles that this was only a proof of what 
I had suspected for a long time ; and I should have him discharged, 
and I believe that, after a short time, he was discharged from the re- 
cruiting service. 

Q. Is this Gleason now employed in the recruiting service? 

A. This man has worn a uniform, and called himself Captain 
Gleason, and these poor fellows believe everything the officers tell 
them, and don't begin to find them out until they first begin to be 
swindled, and after the swindling has commenced, they have no con- 
fidence in anybody or anything. It has, probably, been more induce- 



244 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

ment for desertion than anything that has occurred. Its veiy effect 
is the loss of confidence in Government, and also in the men with 
whom they were to deal. Finding that they have been swindled, 
they believe that the whole is a perfect bubble. The Third R. I. 
Cavalry has four hundred men enlisted — I had over one hundred 
names as deserters, and a captain of one of the companies, one of the 
most intelligent, told me that if I would add two himdred names it 
would be nearer the truth. 

Q. Now, a gentleman says that a uniform is furnished to all these 
men ? 

A. The State advances the uniform. 

Q. And, is there any addition of money paying for recruiting these 
men ? 

A. -SIO a head, and there you will find an enormous loss to the 
State and General Government, by the loose manner in which this 
has been done. 

Q. Have you any knowledge, Capt. Hamlin, of any frauds prac- 
ticed upon the men by the recruiting officers themselves, or their 
agents ? 

A. Noticing that I can say of my own knowledge. I have seen 
affidavits that were made out of one of the officers ; perhaps, if I 
should say nothing about it, and refer you to Capt. Corton, of the 
Third Cavalry, he could give you the information direct. He has 
told me of men sent down to the Third Cavalry; of officers inform- 
ing the men that they had had so much money sent them, $25 — the 
letter came, and they have actually waited for the letters to see them 
opened, and have witnesses of the statement — " enclosed you will 
find $25, and find but $10. I know nothing about it, however, 
except what was told me. I must say that, as far as my official with the 
officers of that cavalry is concerned. I have not met a more efficient 
and faithful officer in taking care of his men, and in giving me timely 
information of men deserting — more so than an}^ other officer in the 
cavalry. I do not know the man. I would, except in this connec- 
tion. I have a man in the guard house — James Law ton — who 
enlisted in the Third Cavalry on the first day of February, why he 
is not uniformed and sent to camp I don't know ; but, in the after- 
noon of the day he enlisted, he was taken by Charles Lawrence, 
O'Rourke's partner, and a man by the name of Farrell, and carried 
out to Pawtucket, and was there all day in Billiard Saloons, drinking 
and amused until night they came in with him. He arrived here at 
the depot just in season to take the cars and oo to Norwich. Then, 
Lawrence and O'Rourke's partner carried him to the Provost Mar- 
shal's office (the Connecticut Provost Marshal's are recruiting officers) 
and they rejected the man on account of his age, but not despairing 
of their case, they carried him to New Haven, and there received 
$200. I sent to New Haven, and I have the man in the guard house 
and O'Rourke, Lawrence and Grant — stiff' legged Grant they call 
him — these men all go by nick names, limpey, &c., his business is a 
peculiar one. I agree with Major Sanford, that you cannot get the 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 245 

best men for this business — as Col. Sayles has said, " if a man is an 
honest man when he goes into it, he will be dishonest before he comes 
ont." I can see no reason why this business cannot be carried on 
more honestly. If a man is retained because he gets a great number 
of recruits ; if he gets ten recruits, and nine desert, I think the man 
who only gets one who stays, is decidedly the best man. I think we 
have paid too much attention to recruiting officers, and lost men by it 
— they have raised the most men for the time on paper — but these 
paper names would all vanish in the next day, or two days. We 
have paid too much attention to that class of men, and driven away 
the more substantial men. I suppose I could give you a book full of 
incidents of this kind ; ever since I have been in the business, the 
mere matter of arresting deserters in my department, is about the 
smallest part of the business, that is to say, the least trouble ; but it 
is the constant complaints from fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, 
coming to the office in regard to swindling them ; enticing them 
away, or getting them to desert, or something, of the kind, swindling 
thom out of their bounties. 

Q. Cases of enlisted men who have been swindled and defrauded, 
would not be so likely to come to your knowledge as these other com- 
plaints ? 

* A. No, sir; they are out of my reach. They go to camp and if 
they happen to be able to get a pass to come up, why they may come 
and make some complaint of it. I have had some cases of that kind 
of late. In regard to the watch business that there is so much talk 
made about, that I know nothing about only what I have heard. 

Q. Have you heard any complaints of the men on that subject ? 

A. I think not ; but generally speaking, the purchasing of 
watches, would be when the men were getting ready to be paid. 

Q. Do you think of anything else you could state upon the sub- 
ject? 

A. I don't call to mind. I think that if there is any way that 
the committee can investigate the number of men that have been 
transported over the diffei-ent railroads here, to and from various pla- 
ces, at the expense of the State, and with uniforms that have been 
here, and been uniformed and then rejected, it will be seen that 
quite a large amount has been expended in that way. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. In what way would the State be responsi- 
ble for enlisting a man, and drawing on the quartermaster after he 
has satisfactorily passed the examination of the surgeon ? 

A. I am glad you spoke of that. We have an examining surgeon 
appointed by Captain Silvey — Dr. Gardiner — and there have been a 
great many of these men that have been to Dr. Gardiner and been 
rejected, that have been taken by these thieves to Pawtucket to Dr. 
Whitney. There has been a large amount of swindling done. Who 
Dr. Whitney is, I do not know, or why he should have passed some 
men that I have seen that have been passed as fit, I can't understand 
— the thing has been done, and Captain Silvey has demanded it 
stopped. A great many of these cases I sent to New York last week. 



246 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

One of his veins was about as bis; again as the other variocose swell- 
ings. He told me that Dr. Whitney would not let him take his 
clothes off. 

Q. What authoriiy has Dr. Whitney ? 

A. Not the slightest that I know of. I do not know as I ought 
to say so. Dr. Gardiner is a regular sworn officer. 

Mr. Thomas. Doctor Whitney was originally appointed by 
the Governor of the State. I do not know his authority since then. 

Q. By the Chairman. There have been cases then of men exam- 
ined by Dr. Gardiner, who have been rejected and then examined by 
Dr. Whitney and received a certificate, and on the strength of that 
ceitificate uniform has been furnished ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Now, if the examining physician has no 
authority, and the man is sworn into the service, and the quartermas- 
ter furnishes clotiies, I dont see where his authority comes from ? 

A. I wish to be understood as not giving an official answer. I do 
not know whether Dr. Whiting has authority or not. I know now 
he has no authority ; but at that time (four or five weeks ago) there 
was a good deal done there, that Captain Silvey told me had no au- 
thority, and that Gardiner was the only authorized person. If this is 
a part of the system to have two examining surgeons, one of which 
passes a man after the other has rejected him, it ought to be known. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. And on the other hand, if not an official 
surgeon, how many are finally mustered in by the mustering officer? 

A. These men were not examined by Dr. Gardiner. These 
three cavalry men were examined by Dr. Whitney, and you will find 
by looking at Dr. Gardiner's book, whether he passes or not ; you 
will find a large number of names rejected by Dr. Gardiner, passed 
by Dr, Whitney in the Third Cavalry. I have a man now, by the 
name of Pettis — over at the barracks — who claims that he enlisted, 
and was drunk at the time — one day last week. I state this case to 
show that I do not mean to, and I do not always take what the man 
says. I am satisfied that the man who had been to Dr. Gardiner 
while in such a condition, did know what he Avas about, and I 
exonorated Dr. Gardiner. But his father has been to see me several 
times, and thinks his son ought not to be held, because he enlisted 
when he was drunk. It took me a considerable part of the day to 
examine the matter. I had several witnesses — every one of them 
had been drinking, and all had drank with him, and most of them 
were so full that they hardly knew what they were about. On ex- 
amining Dr. Gardiner, it appears that the man was sober when he 
passed the doctor. He said he supposed him to be a drinking man, 
and his mind was clouded, but he could answer questions intelligently 
and was suitable to be passed. This man that was drunk deserted — 
he could not be held to service, and so he was taken as a deserter. 
Lieut. Riley — according to his evidence, when this man came to 
enlist, he gave him >^5, and with that he asked the crowd to drink. 
It took some time to make out the papers, and then he went to the 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 247 

surgeon. After giving the whole matter an investigation, I decided 
that he was not so intoxicated that the man did not know what he 
was about, and that the man should be held. It seems to be repre- 
hensible that the first thing these recruiting officers do, is to go with 
a man and take a drink. 

Mr. Thomas. That was the practice in the regular army? 

Capt. Hamlin. Speaking about the regular army, one of my offi- 
cers took a man in Connecticut a week or two ago. A boy enHsted 
in the third cavalry and stayed three days, and then enlisted in the 
fourteenth regular infantry and was sent to Catlett's Station, and 
comes back with a discharge paper, having got a part of his bounty. 
Well, he was a deserter from the third cavalry and I held him as a 
deserter until he was rejected by the mustering officer. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Suppose he was not rejected by the muster- 
ing officer ? 

A. Then notwithstanding his discharoe from another regiment he 
would be held. I have a man on my books from almost every regi- 
ment we have sent away. I will not say almost all — as many as four 
or five diffi-'rent military organizations in the State — the same man has 
been in and out and that is the way that many of these men escape. 
A man that is sworn into the service is on the rolls and held on the 
rolls, until he is properly discharged. 

Q. Anything else in connection with this matter ? 

A. I don't think of anything else to call your attention to, al- 
though it is possible, there is so much of it that we cannot trace out 
to any particular head. There are many cases which I would like 
to have brought before the Committee, and have brought the parties 
up; but I find that they are all managed in such a very slippery way 
that it is impossible to do what I would. 

Capt. Hamlin. Have you any idea of the Paymaster's checks — 
the checks given to the Paymaster for bounties. Here, for instance, 
is a colored man, John Smith, down to camp, and he buys a lot of 
clothing of somebody in Providence, who goes down there and sells 
it to him, and he gives a check on the Paymaster for the amount. 
Then Mr. John Smith Avants to buy a watch, and gives a check on 
the Paymaster for that. Have you no way in which you can find 
out the different amounts that are taken from John Smith's pay in 
this way — when he goes away, and who these checks are made pay- 
able to ? There has nothing of this kind come to my personal 
knowledge. I think that, perhaps, Capt. Gorton can enlighten you 
upon this point. I have little doubt that the moral effect of this in- 
vestigation has stopped a good deal of that kind of business. 

TESTIMONY OF D. T. LYMAN. 

Wednesday, February 15th 1865. 
Question. State whether or not you had anything to do with the 
payment of bounties to the 14th Regiment, in connection with the 
Allotment Commissioner's office, and if so, what took place ? What 



248 BEPORTOF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

is the mode of paying bounties, xvhether any differences arose be- 
tween the men and the Commissioner in reference to the payment of 
them ? 

Answer. I had nothing to do with the payment of bounties, but 
under the direction of the State Commissioner, did record in a book 
kept for that purpose, their allotment of the balance of their State 
bounty, which would be payable on their arrival at or near New Or- 
leans. Just before they left, we visited them in camp, in company 
with the Paymaster General, as he was to pay them a part of their 
bounty. After they were paid, they were asked what they would 
have done with the balance that would be due them on their arrival 
out ; invariably their answer would be (as they had as a general thing 
anticipated the amount they were to receive,) "I want a pair of boots, 
and I want to send all I have received home ;" and others would say 
" I must have some shirts, and I want to send this (referring to their 
money) to the old woman;" others wanted tobacco, &c.; consequenty 
the State Commissioner made arrangements with Mr. Charles Snow 
to furnish boots and shoes; and Mr. Barnaby to provide clothing ; 
and Messrs. Huntoon & Son to supply tobacco, limiting each dealer 
to a certain amount, to be furnished each man ; they went, as a gen- 
eral thing, to make their purchases unaccompanied by an officer 
to identify them, consequently when we came to make out the 
charges to each man, we found it very difficult in many instances, 
to make the names agree on the allotment book with those ap- 
pearing on the bills of those that had sold them goods. In 
making up thes3 accounts charges were made to each on the allot- 
ment book, as the amounts were called off from each bill, after we had 
finished calling off the names of each company we found quite a num- 
ber of names on the several bills that did not appear on the books, 
leaving quite an amount unaccounted for. I don't recollect how much, 
(the names were copied in this book from the company rolls,) in sev- 
eral instances the christian name would agree, but we could not make 
out distinctly the surname, consequently there were undoubtedly 
many mistakes made in charging amounts to the vi^rong person. 

Q. Was it satisfactory to the men ? 

A. The men did not like this arrangement for getting supplied, 
saying they could obtain goods cheaper at other places ; others saying 
that they thought they ought to have had more money advanced them 
so that they could go and buy where they pleased, and not be com- 
pelled to buy of any particular person. Complaints were made by 
them that they had been chai'ged more for things than they agreed to 
pay ; others that they had been charged for articles they had not pur- 
chased. 

Q. Have you reason to believe that their complaints were true ? 

A. I have reason to believe that they might be true, because we, 
had charged goods to parties that we could not make out the names 
distinctly ; there were a good many Dutch names to contend with. 

Q. Do you know anything else in reference to the payment of 
bounties, and to frauds practiced on these men ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 249 

A. I Isnow of a few that allotted tlieir money to parties that paid 
them much less than the amount of the balance of bounty, which was 
I think about $150. 

TESTIMONY OF ADJ. GEN. EDWARD C. MAURAN. 

Monday, Feb. 9, 1865. 

I hold the office of Adjutant General under authority of the State, 
and have since March 10th, 1856. 

Q. Wluit are the duties of your office? 

A. The duties ^re not defined in our Militia Act. The common 
law duties under military law are defined in the lavv respecting the 
Adjutant General of Vermont, which will cover the general and all 
other duties which are supposed to belong to the position of Adjutant 
General of this State. The following is an extract: 

" The Adjutant and Inspector General sliall issue, sign and transmit all orders of 
the Comnianderin-C'iii^', and all regulations which may be estahlislied, and obey all 
orders from him, relative to carrying into executi(m the laws of the United States, 
and of this State. He shall he charged with all the correspondence between the Com- 
mander-in-Chief, and officers of the several States and territories, the Sec-etary of 
War, the Adjutant General of the army, and other persons in official stations, on the 
subject of iiiiitavi] (ij/air.s, and keep a record of such correspondence. He shall keen 
a record of all ordeis and regulations, and cause the same to be published wheneveV 
the Commander-in-Chief shall direct. He shall keep a roster of all ihe militia of this 
State, wiih their residence, rank, and the cori)s to which they belong; the number 
and date of the commi.-sions of all commissioned officers, and the time when issued, 
the number and date of all discharges, removals, deaths, and j)romotions He shall 
enter on record the number, nanie, and limits of each division, brigade, regiment, 
squadron and company, anil every alteration thereof. He shall make out, and issue 
all Commissions and discharges, directed by the Commander-in-Chief. He shall jjre- 
pare and provide the necessary rosters, and books of records, the forms and blanks lor 
commissions, discharges, returns, and other papers n quired by the laws of this State, 
at the expense of the State, and distribute the same to the officers and comjiaiiies en- 
titled to them upon a requisition therelor. He shall make a return in duplicate of all 
the militia in this StHte, with the arms, accoutrements and ammimition; one copy of 

which he shall deliver to the Commatider-in (^liief, on or before the day of , 

and transmit the other to the President of the United States, on or before the First 
day of January, annually." 

Q. Have all the military orders of this State been issued through 
your office, and is there a record of them in your office? 

A. Of all the orders which have been issued through my office, 
there is a record in my office. I know of orders which have been 
issued outside, of which there is no record in my office. I have seen 
such orders, and have copies of two or three, which are annexed. 

(Copy.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, 26th Dec, 1863. \ 
LieAitenavt E. C. Pomroy, Third R. 1. Cnvalrij. 

Lieutenant :— You will proceed with Capt. R. JI. Perry to New Orleans, with the 
first battalion of your regituent, making preparations to take charge under Capt. 
Perry, of the men of the Second Cavalry. 

After ariiving at your destination, you will make a report of the condition, &c., of 
the Second Cavalry, with the jjrospects of your procuring a command. 
13y order of His Excellency the Governor, 
(Signed) CHAS. E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. Q. 



250 REPORT OF THE FIJfANCE COMMITTEE 

(Copy.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Proviilcnce, loth Dec, 1863. \ 
Maj. J. J. Comstock Jr., \st Battalion, lith lierjt. R. 1. II. A. 

Major:— Tlie steamer Cahawba leaves New York Tiiursrlay morning for Newport, 
wliicli place she will reach on Frida3\ You will hold your command in readiness to 
take the steamer here at seven o'clock, a. m., on Friday, ISdi inst., you will, of course, 
attend to all the details of the tmbarkation of your command, taking especial care in 
the matter of your camp guard on the nig'it of Thursday. 'J lie Quartermaster's 
departnit-nt will furnish everytliing that may be needed by your command. 

Kis PLxcellency the Governor, is especially desirous that you should have your bat- 
talion promptly on the wharf at seven o'clock. * 

I am. Major, with best wishes for your success, and that of your brave men in the 
field, Very respectfully, &c., truly, yours, 

CHAS. E. BAILEY, 

Col. ami A . D. C. 
You will please report at this Department upon the receipt of this communication. 

C. E. B. 



(Copy.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ^ 

Providence, Nov. 4th, 1864. ) 
Lieut. -Colonel Frank Allen, Gommanding Providence Marine Corps of Artillery. 

Colonel: — You are hereby directed to send one piece of your battery to the Quar- 
termaster General's Department, at the Fall River Iron works Co.'s store, wich a 
detail from your company to work and guird the same. 

You will have this detail commanded by a commissioned officer, and divide your 
detail into reliefs, in order to have the guard available at any hour of the night or day. 
You will also have a like detail organized and commanded in the same manner at 
your Armory. 

The above guards to be kept until further orders. 

The Quartermaster's Department will furnish the necessary ammunition and trans- 
portation. 

B3' order of the Commander-in-Chief. 

CHAS. E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 
The Quartermaster General will also furnish the above detail with pistols and am-"* 
munition, on the requisition of the proper officer. 
By order &c. 

CHAS. E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 

Q. How many orders were promulgated through your office in 
each of the years'l861, 'G2, 't)3, and '64 ? 

A. In 1861 there were 103 general orders, and 145 special orders. 
In 1862, 60 general orders and 246 special orders. In 1863, 47 gen- 
eral orders and 104 special orders, and in 1864, 11 general orders and 
38 special orders, 

Q. AVhose duty is it to settle the quotas of the State ? 

A. I have found in consulting with the Adjutant Generals of the 
several States, that it has been made their duty by the several Gov- 
ernors, as they have informed n^e, that they have been a great many 
times to Washington, upon that very business. 

Q. Where are the various archives of the State kept, and who has 
control of them ; Avhere should they properly be kej)t? 

A. They have always been kept in the office of tlie Adjutant Gen- 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 261 

eral, and that is the only pnLUc office wliere they should be. That is 
the only military office ot record in the State. 

Q. Have the pa])ers in reference to niihtary affairs been piit on 
record in that office for the past two years'? 

A. A few papers and printed orders have been sent from time to 
time to this office, but all the pap^-s, I should think have not been so 
sent. 

Q. What proportion of them ? 

A. A very small proportion, compared with what have been sent 
previously. I have for the years of 1861 and 1862, a great stock of 
papers forwarded to me by the Governor ; in fact, he rarely kept one 
of those papers more than a week and a half. When he had finished 
his inspection and made up his mind what action he would take, the pa- 
pers went sent over, and the Governor said at the same time, you are 
responsible for them and here is where they belong. I have received 
but very few for tlie last two years ? 

Q. Was any portion of the miHtary of the State ordered on Guard 
duty, at any time durino; the past two years? 

A. Not that I know of, officially, so far as relates to 1864. Un- 
officially I know that in that year, the Marine Artillery were on 
guard at their Armory, and at their Quartermaster.General's office, in 
fact, one of the foregoing orders details a section of a battery to go to 
that office. The Horse Guards were also on duty night and day. 
The previous year. (1863) a portion was on duty and the orders for 
the defence went through my office. 

Q. What was the occasion of this Guard duty ? 

A. It was at the time when pirates were known to be off the coast, 
sometime during the year 186-1, and at the time of the riots in New 
York. 

Q. Have you heard any complaints, or have you any information 
about any complaint in regard to the payment of bounties to men ? 

A. I have received one letter upon that subject. Capt. Gragin 
wrote a letter to my office from the l4th Regiment, making complaint 
in regard to his men. The letter I transmitted to the Governor. I 
have a copy of it. 

Q. When did you transmit it to the Governor? 

A. It was in the last part of May or during the month of June, 
1864. I transmitted the letter to the Governor upon its receipt. 
No other complaints of that character have been made at my office. 
(The letter annexed was read by Gen. Mauran to the committee.) 

Copy of a Letter from Capt. C. C. Cragin, transmitting list of names defrauded by recruiting 

officers : 

Camp Shaw, Plaquemine, La., ) 
May 19th, 1864. f 
Sir : I have the honor to forward the foUowinsr list of names of men of Co. F, 2d 
battalion, 14th \i. I. H. A., who have been defrauiled of (S50) fifty dollars or more of 
the bounty promised them by the State of Rhode Island. In the expectations that 
their claims will be admitted, and the fraudulent demand of recruiting agents denied, 
I call your attention to the subject. If their claims are not regarded, I must bring the 
subject before the General Government, by presenting my resignation as an officer of 
the regiment, on the ground that the discipline of my men has been impaired by 



252 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

fraurlulcnt enlistment. That they liave not received the full bounty promised them, 
and lliat they h;ivu been otherwise deciived by unwarraiitiible assu' iincet* of furloujihs] 
&c'. It is contemied tiiat the men were enlisted in frross violation of tlie !i2tith para- 
graph of tlie Army Keguktious, which specifies " the duties of rocruitiug officers." I 
append tiie names : 

Sergt. Maj., G. Hice. Private, Simon Leonard, 

Sergeant, Joseph Leonard, Jam s Lewis, 

David T. Browne. ]{ichard Nichols, 

Corporal, Grant Bailey, John Ozier, 

Geo. T. Boulding, ])elawarc Prim, 

James N. Jefferson, Henry Prim, 

Robert McKeninis. Wm. Hohinson, 

Private, John H. Wilson, Joseph Hod^'ers, 

Andrew Hamilton, Norris Scott, 

Lewis Anderson, Thomas J. Steward, 

Wni. P. Anderson, Wm. H. Steward, 

Geo Armstrong, James H. Taylor, 

John E. Browne, James 0. Thomas, 

Chas. E. Champlin, Alexander Waterford, 

Leonard U. Clarke, Benj. Warfield, 

William Collins, William H. White, 

Robert Couner, James Williams, 

Orason L. Charles, / Jacob Williams, 

Wm. H.Desmond, Levi Williams. 

•Levi Cooper, William H. Woodward, 

Wdiiam P. Green, James Yates, 

Thornton Harvey, Chas. Stephens, 

Henry Howard, Nelson Young, 

Chas. H. Lee, Mo^es Yates. 
I have the honor to be, your humble servant, 

CHAKL'-.S C. CRAGTN, 

Capt. Ut/i R. I. H. A . Com'dg. Co. F. 
Will you oblige me with an answer acknowledging the receipt of this comraunica 

tion, and informmg me what is to be done. 

To Gkxekal E. C. Mauran, Adjt. Gen. iState of Rhode Island. 

Q. Have you any information in regard to frauds committed upon 
men in reference to the bounties, of your own knowledge? 

A. No, sir; not of my own knowledge ; notliiiig but street talk. 

Q. General, we want to know from yon, how many men have 
been enlisted since tlie 1st of June, 1863, into the service of the Uni- 
ted States, to be credited to the quota of this State, as shown hy the 
records of this State ? 

A. There have been enlisted in R. I. regiments, - 3,553 men. 
In United States recriments, &c. - _ _ _ 422 " 



Making 3,975. 

Of these 3552 were enlisted for three years, and 423 for one year, 
making a total of 3,975 men. 

There were enlisted in the United States Navy since July 12th, 
which is the only date from which we have kept any record in our of- 
fice, (because that was the time when bounties were first paid them) 
217 men. There were also during 1863 and '61, 1118 men in ad- 
dition, who re-enlisted in the old regiments as veterans ; of whom 
1,083 re-enlisted in Rhode Island regiments, and 35 in regiments out 
of the State, and were credited to the quota of Rhode Island, making 
1,118 men. 

Q. Who were these men enlisted by? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 253 

A. The veterans in tlie field enlisted themselves, oi' the captains 
of their eompanies enlisted them. They enlisted uniler orders from 
the War Department. Those in the United States service were by 
U. S. officers of the army and navy ; a great many have been enlisted 
at the Naval Academy; the papers come finned by Commodore 
Blake ; I suppose they are enlisted by U. S. officers. Capt. Salisbury 
enlisted most of the recruits for the navy, except those enhsted at 
Newport. 

Q. How many have been enlisted by the state officers ? 

A. 3,553, that have enlisted for R. I. regiments ; U. S. regiments 
is another matter, although bounties have been paid to both. 

Q. Of these, how many were blacks ? 

A. About half of the number were of the black regiment, and 
more than lialf, something like 1800 blacks. 

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Adjutant Generat/s Office, ? 
Providence, 23dJan. 1865. ^ 
The following appears on file in this department, Sept. 5tli, 1863 : 
Jaines C. Ensrley was com missioned by Gov. J. Y. Smith, as 3d Major in Colored 
Eeuiment Heavy Artillery, and directed to report to Colonel Nelson Viali. 
The commission was delivereil to Gov Smith Sept. 8th, 1863. 
Commission accepted by J. C. Engley Sept. 8th, 1863. 

AUG. HOPPIN, 

Asst. Adj't. Gen. 

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Adjutant Generat/s Office, ) 
Providence, Feb. 16th, 1865. ) 
Hon. n'm. P. Sheffield, H. of R. Rhode Islund, Providence. 

My Dear Sir ; — In compliance with your request. I have the honor to infoim 3-ou 
that the first orders issued tor the raising ot the od Kegt. R. I. Cavalry, was on the 
16th of June, 1863, and for the 14th Regt. R. I. H. A., (colored,) on the 29th of 
July, 1868. 

Very respectfully, your t)bt. servt., 

EDWARD C. MAURAN, 

Adjutant General. 



TESTIMONY OF UZZIEL GLEASON. 

Question. Have you been connected with the recruiting service 
in this State ? 

Answer. When the war broke out, I commenced recruiting. I 
went out in the Third R. I. Artillery ; got wounded ; came back, 
and have been recruiting ever since. 

Q. State what you know about the payment of bounties, and the 
sale of bounty certificates, for the period since the Provost Marshals 
have issued bounty certificates ? 

A. The first there was |xiid was $50. That was about the first I 
received. I took the order and went to the Quartermaster General. 
This was for a three years man. It was 6*20 for a one year man. I 
never enlisted a two years man. I have enlisted some thousand men 
or more. 



254 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. How did yon dispose of the bounty certificates that you re- 
ceived at the Provost Marshal's office? 

A. For a considerable time hack, they have been sent to Captain 
Starkey — sold them to him. Starkey came there and he paid the 
money. We supposed he was Paymaster, and he paid the money. 
He was in Major Sanford's office. 

Q. Did he pay more than the face of them ? 

A. He paid 8150. 

Q. For what ? 

A. For a recruit. 

Q. That was the recruit's bounty? 

A. No, this was what we called the premium money. That has 
been goino; on a month or more — since the first of January. Before 
the first of January, I could not jget my man passed at all. For 
some two weeks I could not get the man passed. They seemed to 
come down on me for some purpose. 

Q. For three $20 certificates, what did you receive ? 

A. All that I had of the $20 certificates I carried to the Quarter- 
master General's, and got my pay there. The $50 ones I carried to 
the Quartermaster General's and never received any advance at all. 
Then I was turned out of the office and had to give it up. The $150 
certificates I received $150 for from Captain Starkey. That was 
since the 1st of January. I received $150 the face of the $150 cer- 
tificate since the 1st of January. 

Q. Did Captain Starkey do anything towards enlisting the men ? 

A. That was the order to take the men in there, and let Captain 
Starkey make the papers out. Before that I used to make out my 
own ])apers. I was ordered to leave oif. I was ordered by San ford 
and Starkey. They told me that was to be the rule. Saiiford told 
me at all events that I would draw all my money through Starke}'. 
All he did was, that I carried the man there. He made out. the pa- 
pers. Sometimes I would go to the Provost Marshal's office. The 
contract made with the recruit he had nothing to do with. Some 
paid $100 ; some $110 ; some we made $10 on, and some $15 on, just 
as we hap])ened to make the contract. I received for the head mon- 
ey $10 or $15 besides paying the recruit. I took the recruit right up 
to Captain Starkey, to pay him there in the presence of Starkey. 
That was taken out of the $150 I received from Captain Starkey. 

Q. Did you sell any certificates to anybody ? 

A. No, sir. Not except through Captain Starkey and the 15th 
regiment. Tliey used to pay the regular infantry $150. The same 
to Starkey. As soon as he got returns from the Island he would go 
the next day and get them. He paid the recruit a bounty out of the 
$150. We had to pay the recruit extra. We paid that frequently, 
just as we could make the contract with them. Some would go for 
$50 and sf)me for $100, and some would want the whole. They 
got that over and above their bounty. In no case did I receive more 
than the face of the certificate. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 255 

FURTHER TESTIMONY OF CAPT. WILLIAM E. HAMLIN, 

Provost Marshal First District. 

Jannnrv oOtli, 1865. 

I am Provost Marshal of the First District, in Rhode Ishiiid. 

Question. What ordei's or authority have you received from the 
Executive Department of" tliis State, in reference to bounty certifi- 
cates, or the payment of the bounties ? 

Answer. On the 2Tth of June last, I received orders from the Govern- 
ment for all recruitinij for old recrinients to be done through the office 
of the Provost Marshals. New organizations, such as the battalion 
for the Second Regiment, Avas recruited by the State authorities. 
And about the same time, during the month of June or Julv, when 
the men were to be brought for the old reginents, to be recruited 
through the office of the Provost Marshal, we received authority to 
give a certificate for a one year man 820 ; for two years men $iO ; 
for thr^e years men $50. That authority was not changed from the 
time of the first certificate, dated the 16th of July, 1864, up to the 
first of January, 1865. It ren)ained in force during that time, so far 
as any authority we had to alter it. On the first of January I re- 
ceived, through Lt.-C(rl. Neide, A. A. P. M. G., notifications that 
the State bounties would be increased $100 each, on one year, two 
y^ars, and three years men. I am speaking now of State bounties. 
The premium was to be increased for all men enlisted, whether for 
one, two, or three years men. The certificates were to be $150; 
that is to say, the same amount of head money was to be paid for a 
three years as a one year man, and vice versa.. From July 16th to 
Januarv 1st, I received no oixlers to change the value of the certifi- 
cates, although I had information, that they were sold to certain 
])arties for a much larger price than the face of the certificate. After 
January 1st, 1865, the bounty, was increased. A one year man re- 
ceived $200, a two years man $£00, and "a three years man $400 
from the State. TJiat order was annulled on the 20th of January. 
I received notice direct from His Excellency that the quota was filled, 
and that the head money would cease with the bounties (m the 20th, 
and there is no other order now standing on that subject. These 
certificates were made by Capt. Chadsey and myself; we each had a 

check book made. It is in this form, " the date. I certify that 

has been enlisted and mustered into the United States service, to the 
credit of the quota of Rhode Island, and is entitled to the sum of 

;" which was filled out if for one year $20 ; two years $40; 

three years $50. After the 1st of January it was filled $150. I 
delivered the certificate to the runner ; we knew no person in the 
transaction but the runner. 

Q. What was done with the certificates. Did they go direct or 
did they sell them ? 

A. I cannot remember the precise date, when I first heard that 
these certificates were sold in the streets at a In'gher price than the 
face of the certificate. One man sold a $50 certificate for 



256 



REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 



another for $70. It lasted but a few days, however, before it was 
generally understood that there were parties buying ior<J90 that is for 
$50 certificate. 

Q.' Who were the parties tliat furnished them. 

A. I only know from tiie parties to whom I gave tlie certificates; 
the names of Major Engley, Captain Starkey, Col. Francis and Col. 
Jenckes. Those I remember — those four. I do not know whether 
any others were prominent. There were parties connected with them 
in their offices, but whether they had anything to do with the amounts 
I do not know. One of the ])arties since the 1st of January has pur- 
chased these certificates in my office. When the runner would come 
out he would take the certificates and pay the money — jiay the face of 
the certificate. Since the 1st of January runners have sold certifi- 
cates to Col. Jenckes i)i my office, for the face ot the certificate. Col. 
Jenckes has generally met them and has been in the office, apparently 
for that pur|)ose. 

Q. Has he any place of business there ? 

A. He has no ])lace of business in my office — no connection with 
the Provost Marshal's Department. He has come in the same as any 
one else woidd, and if he would see a man with a certificate would 
buy it for the face of it. That is generally understood that it was 
for the face of the certificate. I took the number of certificates from 
the stamp of my certificate books, and f)unil that I had delivered to 
runners fifty-one 1 years men at $20, fifty-three at $50, and fifty-six 
at $150. Captain Chadsey has also had the same system. How 
many certificates he issued, I do not know. This is all that I now 
think of in connection with the certificates, given to runners. 



Names of Recruits enlisted in the United Siates service dnrinr/ the month of January, 1865, 
at the office of the ht District of Rhode Island. 



January 2. 

2. 

2. 
" • 2. 

2. 

2. 

3. 

3. 

3. 

3. 

3. 

4. 
" 4. 

5 

5. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

9. 

9. 

9. 



NAME OF KECRUIT, 



BY WHOM PRESENTED. 



.Thomas Thapliam Wm. N. S. Brown, 

.Hugh Duffy t John McCann. 

" ' ....(Miffbnl Fuller. 

.... Gorton, Cook & Co. 

. . . .L. C. Spooner. 

. . . .(ieo. S. Appleby. 

. . . .John A. Francis. 

. . . .James Potter. 

. . . . Wn). N. S. Brown. 

. . . . Wm. N. S. lirown. 

....H. T. Barbour. 

....A. W. Corlis. 

....A. W. Corlis. 

....C. H.Morse. 

. . . .John Battey. 

. . . .John Battey. 



. Martin L. Howard. 

.Daniel Tehan 

. Francis McCaudemi . 

.James .^mith 

.James H. Waterman. 

.John Randall 

. Edwin F. Abbey 

.James Harris 

.Patrick Kourkc 

.'I'homas Hamilton . . . 
.Joseph A. Parr nt. . . 
.Edward Franklin.... 
. Walter A. Tucker. . . 
.Henry L. Battey. ... 

, . Charles W. Stearns. ... Gorton, Cook &Co. 

.Charts W. Tucker C. H. Mor.-<e. 

Jotham C. Rockwood (lorton. Cook & Co. 

.Fraticis Donnelly [ C. A. Fidier. 

.Micliael Fitzgerald ' Gorton, Cook & Co. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 



257 



January 9. 
9. 
" 10. 
" 10. 
" 10. 
" 10. 




BY AVHOM PKESENTED. 



. A. Moor j S. Spooner. 

.James Malone , ... 1 Charles S. Lawrence. 

.Charles H. Fuller j Charles T. Rex. 

. John W. Brown Edward H. Hazard. 

, James K. King 1 Capt. Pollard. 

.John H. Williams ] H. B. Cady. 



11 ...!... . James Crichton . 

11. 

11. 

11. 

11. 

11. 

11. 

11. 

11. 

11. 



.E. F. Prentice. 



Patrick H. Ryan | H. W. Bennett. 

Almon W. Johnson i Gorton, Cook «fe Co. 

Gilbert Willis j do. do. 

Stephen Willis do. do. 

Frank Lee .-John Culin. 

John Sullivan Gorton, Cook & Co. 

James W. Titus S. C. Spooner. 

James T. Gillespie | Chas. S . Lawrence. 

William Smith | John S. Follett. 

11 ... I William A. Lincoln Crawford Lincoln. 

12. ..[... .William Lambert | C. S. Lawrence. 

14... Thomas A. Spaulding | do. do. 

14... ....Elkanah Clark i Gorton, Cook & Co. 



17. 

17. 

17. 

17. 

17. 

18. 

18. 

18. 

19. 

19. 

19. 

20. 

20. 

21. 

21 

21. 

21. 

21. 

21. 

21. 

21. 

21. 



.James Sullivan [ Chas. S. Lawrence. 



.James Farley 

.John Bailey. . . . . . 

.Matthew Forsyth. 

.John Martin 

.Frederick Bradic. 



.H. B. Cady. 
.Chas. S. Lawrence. 
. do. do. 

.Michael Martin. 
. Gorton, Cook & Co. 



. John Lahey C. H. Morse . 



.Joel F. Crocker. 
.Frederick Glover. . . 

.Wm. C. Parker 

.Henry F. Gardiner.. 
. Stephen A. Berry . . , 
.Geo. S. Boutwefl... 

.Jerry Lee 

.Thomas Sagerson,. 

. Henry Slocum 

.John Robinson 

. John McMillen 

.Davis C. Burke. . . . 
.William L. Dayton. 
.Albert Robinson. . . . 
. Orville P. Jones . . . . 



.H. B. Cady. 
.Chas. S. Lawrence. 
.Geo. S. Appleby. 
.T. B.Kimball. 
.H. B. Cady. 
. do. do. 
.Gorton, Cook & Co. 
. do, do. 

. do. do. 

.D. G. Greene. 
.Dean Linnell. 
, do. do. 
.F. W. Franklin. 
.John A. Francis. 
.Dean Linnell. 



Providence, R, I., February 10th, 1865. 
I hereby certify that the above sixty-three names of recruits, is a correct transcript 
from the records of this office, for the month of January, 1865. 

WM. E. HAMLIN, 
Capt. and Provost Marshal, 1st Dist. R. I. 



TESTIMONY OF CAPT. LEMUEL T. STARKEY. 

January 31st, 1865. 

Question. Do you hold any commission in this State ? 

Answer. I hold a commission in the 3d cavalry. I think it was in 
October, 1863, 1 received it. The commission has never been revoked 
and I have never resigned. I did ask for a resignation but have 
not received it. 

Q. Have you ever been mustered into service? 

A. I have not, sir ; not into the 3d cavalry. 

33 



258 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. What service have you been employed in ? 

A. On recruiting service, sir ; ever since I have been here. I 
came from New Orleans, the 47th Massachusetts, in which I held a 
commission-^served my time out and went into the recruiting service. 
I belong in Massachusetts ; formerly lived here. 

Q. For what regiment did you recruit ? 

A. For the 3d cavalry, and since that for the old regiments that 
were in the field, and this second regiment that has been forming of 
six companies. I commenced in August, 1863, to recruit for the 3d 
cavalry. I have put in some few individuals into the 14th colored 
regiment within the last few months, perhaps five or six ; that is all, 
and those went through Capt. Chadsey's office. 

Q. Under what orders did you go into the recruiting business ? 

A. My first orders were the orders of Col. Sayles of the 3d cav- 
alry, to raise a company for that organization, which I did raise — com- 
pany C to commence with, and then I was commissioned by the Gov- 
ernor after that. I went to camp for the purpose of taking command 
of the company,^ and was ordered back on recruiting service, and they 
kept me on recruiting service till the regiment was full, and they 
wished me to remain back after the regiment was filled. Therefore 
I was not mustered into the regiment. Then my orders came in wri- 
ting from the Governor's office on recruiting service, in which I acted 
under those orders. I think I have three Avritten orders to act on this 
service. 

Q. What compensation were you to have ? 

A. The first orders when I recruited under Col. Sayles, were for 
me to receive $10 a man in raising a company. After that, and after 
the companies were raised up to C, D, and E, I received $10 a man. 
After E was raised I received $159 50 a month, that was my pay as 
captain of cavalry until the regiment was full ; then my pay stopped. 
The agreement was that I should receive that on account of not taking 
the command, because they preferred my staying back. I recruited 
after that on another order. They paid me one months wages for 
the 2d regiment. That was all the compensation I received for that 
month as captain of cavalry. After the cavalry was full there was a 
short inter\*al before receiving this. I was out some four weeks doing 
nothing. Then I commenced under another order. They were to 
pay me $80, $100, and $110 for each man that I put in. I continued 
on that I think until the 1st of January, 1865. Then they ordered 
me to recruit and would pay $200 a man for every man that I would 
put in, and I recruited up until I stopped some week or two ago. 

Q. Did you cash any Provost Marshals certificates ? 

A. I cashed all I received, sir ; whether by carrying the recruits 
in myself or by having individuals bring the receipts to me and I buy- 
ing them. That was my orders from Major S. P. Sanford, superin- 
tendent of recruiting. 

Q. When recruiting agents brought certificates to you, what were 
they for ? 

A. For recruits. 

Q. Did they show the price on the face of them ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. , 259 

A. They did. Those from January up to the time when we 
stopped, showed $150. Before that they showed I think $20 for one 
year men ; $40 for two years men, and $50 I think it was for three ■ 
years men. I will state what I paid for them. We paid $60, $80 
and $100. Those were my orders to pay $60, $80 and $100, which 
I have paid. 

Q. Whom did you derive that from to buy them at that price ? 

A. Major S. P. Sanford. 

Q. What interest had he ? 

A. I was ordered to go by his instructions from the Governor's 
office. He was considered to be the general superintendent of re- 
cruiting for the State of Rhode Island. My orders all come from 
him. If I went to the Governor's office, I was referred to him for 
anything I wished to get. 

Q. Could any person buy those orders or only a few persons ? 

A. I understood that there were but few persons authorized. 
These were Col. Jenckes, Col. Francis, Major Engley and myself. 
That is as far as I know. I think Lieut. Occleston of the 15th U. 
S., was recruiting the same. I understood so. This is what I heard. 
I don't know for a fact. I have seen certificates made for the other 
parties. That is why I spoke about it. 

Q. Did Major Sanford derive any profit either directly or indi- 
rectly from this business ? 

A. I don't know that he did derive any profit. He was paid wa- 
ges, I believe. This money we used for buying these certificates was 
money furnished by individuals who brought them. It was not the 
State's money that was used. If I bought them I used my own 
money. Major Sanford furnished me with money from the National 
Bank, (he has an account there,) which I paid back to him, and paid 
him something for the use of it. 

Q. How much did you pay for the use of it ? 

A. I could not tell without my minutes and figures in Vegard to 
what I paid out. I will look at my figures and give you the informa- 
tion. I have all the papei^s and figures and the bank account. I 
should not think it would take me a great while. 

Q. Did you know of his receiving any income or profit either di- 
rectly or indirectly before this arrangement ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not. 

Q. Did he furnish the money to others of these parties ? 

A. That, I could not say. I have heard him say that he did, I 
believe, to Major Engley. 

Q. Did he say to anybody else ? 

A. I don't think that he did. The bank where he got the money 
was the old National Bank. I drew the money myself on checks 
from there. He left accounts so that I could overdraw, and I over- 
drew considerable sometimes. I was obliged to. 

Q. Have you copies of those orders for recruiting, that were 
issued to you from the Executive's office ? 

A. I think I have all of them, and will present them to you. 



260 



REPORT OF FINAKCE COMMITTEE 



Q. From whom did they emanate ? 

A. I think they all emanated from Col. Bailey, by the order of 
the Governor. That is my impression, sir. I have paid Major San- 
ford, as near as I can estimate, $950, over and above all sums which 
he has, from time to time advanced to me, either personally or guar- 
anteeing at bank. From this sum, I expect to have returned to me 
from Major Sanford, four hundred and fifty dollars, the balance I 
expect him to keep for his risks, and use of his money advanced to me. 



Dr. L. T. Starkey, in account with National Bank, Providence. 



CV. 



1864. 




Oct. 25. 


Check 


29. 


do. 


Nov. 4. 


do. 


12. 


do. 


Dec. 12. 


do. 


28. 


do. 


30. 


do. 


31. 


do. 


Jan. 2. 


do. 


3. 


do. 


4. 


do. 


5. 


do. 


7. 


do. 


9. 


do. 


10. 


do. 


11. 


do. 


13. 


do. 


1864. 




Dec. 12. 


Over Drawn. 


28. 


do. 


30. 


do. 


31. 


do. 


1865. 




Jan. 2. 


do. 


3. 


do. 


4. 


do. 


9. 


do. 



$200 00' 
100 00, 

90 00 

60 00 
300 00 
400 001 

60 00, 
120 00 
429 80 
350 00 

40 00 
530 00 

21 00 
750 00 
189 38 

18 75 
150 00 



1864. 




Oct. 25. 


Cash. 


Dec. 16. 


do. 


28. 


do. 


1865. 




Jan. 5. 


Cash 


10. 


do. 


11. 


do. 



§270 00 


328 00 


388 00 


508 00 


937 80 


1287 80 


1327 80 


628 80 



$480 00 

300 00 

42 00 

2000 00 

1000 00 

60 00 



Providence, February 28th, 1865. 
Hon. Wm. P. Shffield, 

Chairman, Committee on Finance, General Assembly. 
Sir : — When I made my statement before your Committee, I stated that Major S. 
P. Sanford had been paid by me $950 more than I had received at the time I stated 
this. I assumed that the •'^950 would be retained by the Major, and I sliould obtain in 
return one half of his "salary for the period I named. Since I appeared before the 
Committee, I have received from Major Sanford the amount of $950. It was my 
custom while recruiting, to rely upon Major Sanford for means to prosecute the busi- 
ness. Sometimes I would be largely in his debt, and sometimes he would be in debt 
to me. At the time I made my statement, when called before the Committee, the 
money matters between us was as I stated. I wish also to state, distinctly, that Major 
Sanford has not at any time been in partnership with me, nor has he or any one else 
received a distribution of any portion of my profits, made while recruiting, excepting 
Capt. Bicknell, of Third Cavalry. 
Most respectfully yours, 

L. T. STARKEY. 

I certify the above and within statement to be true, to the best of my knowledge and 
belief. 

S. P. SANFORD. 



ON BOUNTY P^RAUDS. 261 

TESTIMONY OF CLIFTON A. FULLER. 

I reside in Providence. I have been in the recruiting business two 
years or more for almost all branches of the service. 

Question. Did you recruit any for the fourteenth regiment Rhode 
Island Heavy Artillery ? 

Answer. Yes, sir. I acted under Major J. C. Engley. Most of 
my work was in the Western States-*— Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. 

Q. What arrangement was there between you and Major Engley ? 

A. I was to work for him by the day. I had three dollars a day 
and my expenses. 

Q. On what terms did you enlist these men? 

A. They were to have the State bounty. I think we were pay- 
ing $300 then. I don't mean to say that I had anything to do with 
paying them. 

Q. Did you agree to pay them $300 ? 

A. No, sir; not in all cases. They signed off their bounty ? 

Q. Did you in any case pay that west of New York city, was there 
any case west of New York city where they agreed to pay $300 ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not know that there was. 

Q. Was there any case west of Buffalo where they agreed to pay 
$250? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Where, when and what was the case ? 

A. It was in the city of Detroit, Michigan. I don't know aS I 
can mention the names, sir. 

Q. Can you mention the names of one of them ? 

A. Yes, sir ; WiUiam Whippee. I should suppose his enlistment 
papers ought to be down street. 

Q. How much money do you swear that you agreed to pay him ? 

A. The agreement was with him for $250. That I swear to. 

Q. Can you mention any other case ? 

A. There were other cases but I cannot mention the names. 

Q. How much was the least bounty you agreed to pay any per- 
son in the contract which you made with these men ? 

A. Fifty dollars, I think, sir. 

Q. How many did you enlist at that price ? 

A. Perhaps, twelve. 

Q. Did you contract to enlist any for $75 ? 

A. No, sir ; I don't remember that I made a contract for that price. 

Q. How many were enlisted under an agreement to pay $100 ? 

A. I Ihink, perhaps, about the same number, twelve or fourteen. 

Q. Where did you enlist these twelve men for $50 ? 

A. They were at Indianapolis. They were brought to me by 
parties that secured them in Missouri and Kentucky. 

Q. Who brought them to you ? 

A. There were agents ; one colored man by the name of Henry 
Allen, worked for me at Indianapolis. 

Q. How much did you pay him a day ? 

A. I hired him by the day at first, and I then paid him so much 



262 REPORTOF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

apiece for the men he furnished. For some I paid him $25, and for 
some for $50 apiece. 

Q. How did you know he had got them from Missouri or Ken- 
tucky ? 

A. I took his word for it, sir. 

Q. Do you say that $200, or as mucii as that, Avas paid to any 
man west of Detroit? 

A. I say it was promised to them, sir. 

Q. Who paid their transportation here? 

A. J. C. Engley, sir, I suppose, it was furnished to me by him. 
The Governor made an order for it. 

Q. How much per man was the transportation from Indianapohs 
to Providence ? 

A. I should say it was from $13 to $15 per man. I don't recol- 
lect the exact amount that was paid ; in fact, I did not pay it myself; 
I did not know, but think I have heard say it was from $13 to $15 
per man. I merely had an order, and I could draw transportation there. 

Q. Do you know whether that transportation was ultimately paid 
for by the State or not ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not. 

Q. Were you present here when any of the men were enlisted? 

A. No, sir ; I was not. 

Q. You did not know what took place? 

A. No, sir ; I did not. I heard there were complaints that men 
were defrauded of their bounties, and that there were frauds. I came 
home in January. 

Q. Did you know anything about their being defrauded ? 

A. Nothing more than what I heard by report. Nothing of my 
own knowledge. 

Q. And you did not know anything about these men being brought 
from Missouri and Kentucky, except by report ? 

A. Nothing more than the agent, or men, told me. I know that 
we enlisted some that I understood were contrabands — that said they 
were contrabands. 

Q. Are you in the employ of Major Engley now ? 

A. No, sir ; I am not ; I have not been for more than a year. 

Q. Do you know how many men you enlisted in all? 

A. No, sir ; I do not know the exact number. 

Q. About how many ? more than one hundred ? 

A. I should say so. 

Q. Do you know how much bounty you promised to pay them, 
not what it would average, but the aggregate sum ? 

A. I do not know the aggregate sum. 

Q. You are enlisting now, you say, and have been during the 
time intervening ? 

A. Yes, sir ; the last six or eight months. 

Q. What was your process of effecting enlistments during the fall ? 

A. We generally told the recruit what the amount of bounty 
was. Through the fall and winter, up to the 1st of January, the 
bounty from the State was $100, $200 and $300. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 263 

Q. What was the hand money paid you ? 

A. We have had a good many prices since I commenced in the 
fall. I commenced in September. Then, we got -$40 for a man en- 
listing for one year. 

Q. How did you get that ? 

A. I used to take one of my enlisting papers. We would take 
the man to camp, (we were enhsting mostly for the Second Regiment,) 
and make out four enlisting papers ; one Ave would return, and take 
a receipt for the man, after we took him to camp, from the command- 
ant of the camp — that we had furnished the man to the camp. The 
receipt and the enlistment paper we took to Col. Jenckes, with whom 
I usually did my business. He would pay us $40. That was the 
prices we got in the first place. Finally we found some fault, and I 
told him I thought they were paying more, and he said he would 
inquire into it and see if he could pay us any more. Finally, I un- 
derstood he went to the Governor, and afterwards he paid us $50. 

Q. Did you enlist any man through the Provost Marshal's office ? 

A. Yes, sir. W^e used to put in men through the Provost Mar- 
shal's office. 

Q. What was the process there ? 

A. We used to get a voucher for the men that would entitle us 
to $50 for one man for one year. Previous to my commencing it was 
$20. In September, when I commenced it was $50, $60 and $90. 
I do not know as I ever put in a two years man. I would not be 
positive about the two years price. One year was $50, and three 
years was $90. 

Q. What did you do with these vouchers ? 

A. Well, sir ; I sold mine to Col. Jenckes. 

Q. Those vouchers entitled you to go to the Quartermaster Gene- 
ral, and get how much ? 

A. I do not know, as they were made out to the Quartermaster 
General. They were an order to get so much from the State — 
— from the Governor. 

Q. What did you get for them from Col. Jenckes ? 

A. We used to" get $50 and $90 — the face of them ? 

Q. Did he have anything to do with enlisting your men ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. He had nothing to do with enlisting the men for which you 
received the vouchers at the Provost Marshal's office ? 

A. ]So, sir ; nothing that I know of? 

Q. Since the 1st of January, you have received vouchers ? 

A. We have been putting in men altogether through the Provost 
Marshal's department. We used to get a voucher for $150 for every 
man we put in for a longer or shorter period. 

Q. What did you do with the vouchers ? 

A. I have sold some. At least, I have been paid by Col. Jenckes 
for some, and by Col. John N. Francis for some. 

Q. Did they have anything to do with enlisting these men ? 

A. Not that I know of, sir. I enlisted them mvself. 



262 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. You are enlisting now ? 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How is enlisting going on ? 

A. It is a little quiet just now, but I think it will pick up in a day 
or two. 

TESTIMONY OF CAPT. A. B. CIJADSEY, 

Provost Marshal of the Second District. 

Monday, February 6th, 1865. 

Question. Have you been engaged in receiving recruits from this 
State for the United States ? 

Answer. I have, sir. 

Q. Have you received any orders from the Executive Department 
in reference to the payment of bounties, or head money, to persons 
who presented recruits ? 

A. My orders were, sir, in writing, from the Executive, I think, 
and the first orders received were for one, two and three years men. 
For one year men, I was directed to give a voucher, to collect $20 
from the Executive of the State. For two years men, I think it was 
$30, and it may have been $35. 

Q. Was it not 140? 

A. It may have been. 

Q. How much for three years men ? 

A. It was $50 ; but we put in so few two years men, that it has 
not become impressed on my memory. We put in only two or three 
of that description. I am unable to state when the orders Avere mod- 
ified, and changed ; I think it was, somewhere about the first of Janu- 
ary ; the book will determine. 

Q. What were the alterations made in them at that time? 

A. I think the alteration was from $20, $40 and $50, to $150, 
without distinction as to the term of service. The order was to give 
a voucher for $150, whether for one, two or three years men. 

Q. Was this order filled up in the name of the man that brought 
the recruit ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was it delivered to him ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was any other name, at any time, inserted in those orders? 

A. Well, sir; I think there has been other names inserted in these 
orders ; there were three or four men who sent their recruits to the 
office in charge of runners, as they are called, and the man who 
brought the recruit would say, Capt. Starkey sent these men, or you 
will make the voucher in his name ; or it might be. Major Engley, or 
Col. John N. Francis. And when the runner, or man presenting the 
recruit, has told us that the voucher was to be made in the name of 
any other person, we have done so ; that was at their own election, 
and at their own suggestion ; we never advised or requested them to 
put in the name of any person. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 265 

Q. Did Capt. Starkey, Maj. Engley, or Col. Francis have any- 
thing to do with the recruiting of these men, in the vouchers for 
which their names appeared ? 

A. I am unable to answer, sir, how much they had to do with it. 
The recruits were procured outside of the office, and T have no cog- 
nizance of what was done there. 

Q. Were those vouchers sold ? 

A. Yes, sir; they have been sold, though never to my personal 
knowledge, except in one instance ; I have frequently heard of it. 
The first intimation I had of the vouchers being sold, was when we 
were giving vouchers of $50 for three years men, and that voucher 
was purchased by the third person, before the man who had received 
it had left the office. I did not see the purchase, but was told of it 
before either of the parties had left my office. One of the clerks, I 
don't remember who, said, " These vouchers must be worth more 
than their face, this man has bought one, and paid $80 for it ;" the 
face of the voucher was $50. Well, I enquired who had purchased 
the voucher ; I was told that it was Chas. N. GiffiDrd. He is a de- 
tective who is about my office considerably, but has no connection 
with it. If it had been one of my clerks, or special officers, I should 
have had an investigation at once ; but I thought, before having an 
investigation with Gifford, I would go to the Executive and ascertain 
why a voucher of $50 should be sold for $80. I went immediately 
and ascertained that the amount paid on those vouchers had been 
changed. " Well," I said, " is it proper that we should make a change 
to correspond with the change you have determined on?" " No," 
said the Governor, *•' it is immaterial about that, you can go on and 
give vouchers as you have done, for $20, $40 and $50, and we will 
arrange that when we pay them." "Well," I said, " I felt very 
nftuch astonished to learn that a $50 voucher was being sold for $80, 
and I thought there must have been some mistake, because I had re- 
ceived no orders to issue any vouchers for more than $56. If they 
were worth more, I thought we should be apprised of it in the office, 
and give them for the same as they called them." I also stated, that, 
if the sum had been changed to a higher figure, I should never per- 
mit them to be sold in my office ; for the reason that the person 
presenting the recruit should not be speculated upon. If the $80, or 
whatever sum beyond $50 was to be paid, it should be paid' to the 
individual who brought the recruit, not to a speculator. He said, 
" very well ; that would be very proper." And I said, " I shall take 
that responsibility at all events, to forbid any speculation in my office." 
I called the clerks and special officers together, and stated to them 
the fact of the voucher being sold for $80, when the face of it was 
$50. I said, " I Avish you to understand, each of you, that no trans- 
action of that nature will be permitted in this office ; if a man brino-s 
a recruit and gets a voucher for $50, and wishes to sell it, he must 
sell it to somebody not connected with this office, and some one not 
in the office, whether connected with it or not. I will not permit any 
speculations of that nature." This was when I came back from the 
Governor's. 

84 



2t)6 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Is it any part of your business to sign certificates for naval 
recruits ? 

A. They are not certificates but vouchers. They are of the 
nature of a certificate. Perhaps I can explain. There is a method 
of forwarding recruits to Boston for the Naval Rendezvous — there 
being none in Rhode Island — like this : What is called a transmis- 
sion paper is furnished him, and it reads something like this : "(!apt. 
Hazard commanding Naval Rendezvous at Boston, I herewith for- 
ward you John Brown, a recruit for the navy. Then follows his 
description ; and I sign myself respectfully his obedient servant." 
That recruit is taken from here to Boston and is examined by the 
Naval Board. (We don't go into any examination of the man 
physically, except so far as to ask him if he has any physical infir- 
mity that would disqualify him for discharging the duties of an able- 
bodied seaman. We take his word for it, if we examine liim here. 
They would go through with an examination of him in Boston in any 
case, and would not accept of ours if we made one). That man goes 
forward with this paper which I have signed, or some one goes with 
him and presents the man ; and if he is accepted after a surgical ex- 
amination, they retain him, and forward me a certificate of his enlist- 
ment, reading something like this : "I hereby certify, that John 
Brown has this day enlisted in the Naval Service of the United 
States, " addressing it to me. Then within a day or two, a voucher 
comes to me, or rather an order from John Brown, saying that he 
has appointed somebody to receive his bounty ; and upon the back of 
that order I certify, (if it corresponds with the certificate I have re- 
ceived from Capt. Hazard and Capt. Knox,) that he is bona fide en- 
listed into the service of the United States Navy. Upon that I un- 
derstand his bounty is collected. I could show you those papers. 
Those certificates and vouchers must always be filled in with thb 
name of the party who proposes to enlist. 

Q. Are these ever signed in blank ? 

A. Never in blank. I have been solicited to sign in blank, i. e. it 
has been sucjo-ested to me, and I at once declined doino; it. It was not 
insisted upon. Atone time I sent a deputy to Boston, with a letter 
to Captain Hazard, informing him that I had appointed this dep- 
uty to report at the Naval Rendezvous for the purpose of examining 
men, oV seeing the men 'who were presented for enlistment into the 
Navy, and signing for me the paper which certifies that I presented 
them for enlistment. To make the thing a little less troublesome, I 
was aked if I would sign in blank, and let these papers go down — let 
any runner put them in. I said, I would not do it, but would-send a 
deputy and let him see every man that was put in. John Nichols 
■was the deputy. He was there only five or six days, and since then 
I have signed the papers myself, after seeing the men in the office and 
taking their description, knowing that they were men physically quali- 
fied to enlist and discharge the duties of seamen in the Navy. I have 
sent them forward with the papers to go from here to Boston, and 
make application for enlistment. I have been solicited to sign a trans- 
piission ordei in blank. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 267 

Q. By whom ? 

A. It has been suggested to me, to know if I would do such a 
thing, by Major Sanford. He said a man came to him and asked if 
it was probable I would sign papers in blank, and " now I will ask 
you the question," he said, I did not then know what these trans- 
mission papers were. I said, " I don't understand the proposition." 
He said, " the Provost Marshals of other States have got up the 
system of what they call transmission papers. When there are no 
naval rendezvous in their States, they send men forward with papers 
addressed to the captains commanding the naval rendezvous, saying : 
" I herewith send you (naming the man) the following man for en- 
listment in the navy," and then give his description, height, color of 
eyes, hair and complexion, and just sign their names to it and then 
let it go. He said, " some of them are signing those papers with 
no name filled in as the recruit, trusting to some runner to pick up a 
recruit, and fill the blank with his name and description." I said 
that I never would certify that I forwarded a man, unless I saw the 
man, and did forward the man. " Well," said he, "it is done for 
other States, and it was thought that you might do it." I said, " no, 
sir : I would not do it." He said, " other Provost Marshals are said 
to receive $15 for each paper that they sign in blank, and then it 
goes forward — but they have not seen the man. When the runner 
picks up a man, he puts the name in the blank. What would you 
think of that ?" I said, " if a man should come to me with such a 
suggestion as that, I should arrest him before he got out of my sight." 

Q. It was an indirect offer that he would give you fl5. 

A. Yes, sir. Major Sanford said, " well, that is just what I told 
him, that he had better keep away from you." He told the man not 
to come to me, but he (Major Sanford) came to me, and made the 
suggestions which the man had made to him. I do not know who 
the man was. 

Q. Maj. Sanford did not say Avho the man was ? 
^ A. No sir. It was intimated that I should have f 15 for signing 
the certificate in blank. I state the suggestion of the other man to 
Major Sanford. 

Q. When were these vouchers first given by you ? 

A. The first voucher was given on the 29th of June — 850 given to 
Uzziel Gleason for a recruit who enlisted in the Third Rhode Island 
Cavalry. The next was given on the same day to Lemuel T. Star- 
key, for Daniel Rhodes, a recruit, who enlisted in the Third Rhode 
Island Cavalry. They are all recorded in order in this book (reading 
from book), there are 239 vouchers recorded in this book. 

Q. How long was it before you were aware that a larger price was 
paid for them ? 

A. It may have been two or three days. I may have detected it 
on the first day. I could not say about that. I will state that upon 
calling upon the Governor, and stating the fact that a voucher for 
$50, had just been sold in my office for $80, and that I had come to 
inquire the reason, and asking him if he had made a change in the 



268 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

enlistment premium, raising the price from $50 upwards. He said he 
had. Then I asked him if it would be proper for him to give me a 
new order, and he said that would be unnecessary, I might go on and 
fill the vouchers for the same sums as heretofore, and he would direct 
the Quartermaster General, to pay on them such sums as he, (the 
Gov.) had determined." He said : " I have been obliged to do this 
thing as Massachusetts is paying much more head-money than we are, 
and recruiting runners who get the men, ship them in at Boston, 
because they can get more head-money for the men. These runners 
have no interest that prompts them to put men in here, except what 
they can put in their pockets. To save our citizens at home we have 
been obliged to offer a larger amount of head-mone}'. You can fill 
the certificates as you have done, as it will not be necessary to stipu- 
late the precise sum in the voucher, we can adjust that when they are 
paid, as the men who receive the money will be required to give a 
receipt for the amount. A. B. CHADSEY, 

Provost 3Iarshal 2d Dist., R. I. 

[For the names of the recruits and the names of persons by whom they were pre- 
sented, for the month of January, 1865, at the office of Provost Marshal, A. B. Chad- 
sey, will be found at the end of this volume.] 



REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS AND TESTIMONY BEFORE THE 
JOINT SPECIAL COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE THE 
MANNER IN WHICH BOUNTIES HAVE BEEN PAID TO VOLUNTEERS 
ENLISTED IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, AND MUSTERED 
INTO THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES. 

The Committee met at the State Auditor's Office, at 3 o'clock on Monday afternoon, 
February 8th, 1863. Present— W. W. Blodgett, Chairman; Messrs. E. L. Blake, H. 
H. Thomas, Bradbury C. Hill, and Thomas A. Whitman. 

The Committee came to order, and on motion of Mr. Blake, seconded by Mr. Whit- 
man, J. C. Thompson was elected clerk. The Chairman submitted copies of sundry 
orders, relating: to the payment of bounties since last June, (1863,) furnished him by 
the Adjutant General, — all the orders issued from the office. 

General Order, No. 19, June 23, 1863. 
General Order, No. 23, July 9, 1863. 
General Order, No. 47, Dec. 29, 1863. 

It was then voted to summon before the Committee, Paymaster General John N. 
Francis, Major James C. Engley, Major S. P. Sanford. 

After some further consultation the Committee adjourned to meet at 2 1-2 o'clock, 
next day. 

SECOND DAY. 

The Committee was called to order at a quarter before 3 o'clock ; Mr. Blodgett in 
the chair. The Paymaster General was present, and upon his invitation the Commit- 
tee adjourned to his office. 

Paymaster General's Office. 

All the members of the Committee present. John N. Francis, Paymaster GeneraL 
appeared before the Committee and was sworn by the Chairman. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 269 

TESTIMONY OF JOHN N. FRANCIS. 

February 9th, 1863. 

Question. By the Chau'man. How long have you been Pay- 
master General? 

Answer. I was elected on the 28th of February, or 1st of March. 
I think my commission dates from the 4th of March, 1863. 

Q. Did you enter upon your official duties that day ? 

A. I did, sir, on the 4th day of March. 

Q. And hav^e ever since been acting as Paymaster General ? 

A. Yes, sir. * 

Q. As Paymaster General, has it been your official duty to pa}' 
the State bounties to volunteers ? 

A. It has been so upon the direction of His Excellency the Gov- 
ernor. I would say, in connection with that, also, gentlemen, that 
so strictly have I adhered to it, that I have paid no money unless it 
was by direct order from the Governor, because I felt that I had no 
right to, unless it was in regard to a general order, relating to men 
entering the service as veterans. General public orders which came 
from the department of the Adjutant General; but as it has been 
here, no individual could get his bounty unless by special requisition 
of the Governor, unless by general order, without a requisition. 

Q. Do these orders come to you directly from the Governor, or 
directly from the Adjutant General? 

A. Well, mostly, sir, directly from the Governor. There have 
been some few that have come through the Adjutant General ; but 
few, I have no recollection of more than three or four that I may 
have among my files — not more than two or three. 

Q. Have you these orders where you can conveniently produce 
them ? 

A. Yes, sir. [General Francis produces them.] There is one 
dated August 29th, 1863. I have some more in addition to that. 

Chairman calls attention to the orders furnished him by the Adju- 
tant General, of June 23d, July 9th, and December 29th, 1863. 

General Francis. This of June 25th, 1863, (the same with June 
23,) is a general public order that was advertised and remained in 
the papers quite a while. I have a printed copy which I kept quite 
a while. I asked the Governor if it was necessary to have another 
order, to enable me to pay these bounties, and he said I was au- 
thorized to act by the general order, as in the case where the Pay- 
master General is directed to pay by the public order. [Refers to 
special general order No. 42, the Paymaster General.] 

Gen. Francis. This, Mr. Chairman, is a general order which was 
issued to all men enlisting, setting forth the terms and conditions upon 
which the State of Rhode Island paid the bounties. Of course, no 
man enlisting could obtain this bounty. No bounty could be paid 
until the Governor had given me the number of men to whom this 
bounty was to be paid. I should not have a copy of this among my 
files. Now, follows under that order, a special order, No. 52, written 
by the Adjutant General. 



270 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Chairman. The Paymaster General is ordered to pay in accord- 
ance with general order No. 19. 

Q. This is a special order ? 

A. I think this is the first special order that was issued. There 
may be one prior to that ; perhaps the one I let you have. 

Chairman. No, this is subsequent. 

Gen. Francis. That is the first one, June 25th, directed to pay 
the bounties of 1300 to those named men. There is quite a story 
about those men. We had to take their affidavits and have them 
substantiated, before the Judges of courts in New Hampshire, to 
show that these men were not there at the time they enlisted. These 
men, twenty-one, made it very difficult, because, many of them I had 
to look up. They got the bounty in New Hampshire, and claimed it 
here also. There has been a considerable number of applications, I 
don't believe there were over six that were paid. 

Q. By Mr. Whitman. How did they claim this bounty ? 

A. Because, though enlisting in the quota of New Hampshire, 
on coming down here and re-enlisting, they claimed our bounty. 
Some of the men were sworn in by general enlistment, but assigned 
to no company. They came and re-enlisted here and were assigned. 
[Mr. Francis stated the case of one of these New Hampshire volun- 
teers, who tried to impose upon him and secure the Rhode Island 
bounty.] 

To a member. They did draw the bounty in New Hampshire, 
and tried to draw it here. Those who did draw their bounty here, 
counted for the quota of Rhode Island. 

Q. These orders were all for the payment of the full bounties to 
the men themselves ? 

A. Yes, sir ; that full bounty was to be paid in accordance with 
general orders — $75 down, and $225, &c., at a future time. 

Q. There are no orders from the Adjutant General Office, in re- 
gard to paying bounties to the 14th Regiment ? 

A. No sir ; none at all. 

Q. Suppose we come down to that regiment and take the orders 
received by you, for the payment of the bounties in that regiment 
from the time of its commencement ? 

A. Well, sir; I have the first oi'der for the payment of that 
money to men enlisted in the 14th Regiment, dated September 17th, 
1863. 

Chairman. Reads — 

" By direction ol the Governor you will pay to Major Engley upon such recruits as 
he will name for the 14th Regiment R. I. Heavy Artillery, $50 as an advance pay- 
ment of bounty, to be taken out of the §225 payment whenever the latter payment is 
ordered to be paid. You will please report to this department on what names you 
make the above payment. On Major Engley's presenting receipts for §25 advance 
bounty, you will pay him that sum, and to the men giving these receipts said advance 
will not be paid. 

(Signed,) CHARLES E. BAILEY." 

Mr. Thomas. Now, Mr. Chairman, I did not understand about 
that sum of $25. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 271 

Mr. Francis. I will explain. As I understand it, Maj. Engley at 
the time when the order was issued, in obtaining recruits, through his 
men, found some men living in remote places, whose families were en- 
tirely dependent upon the man for support, and whose relations were 
such, that they could not well relieve him, and after he found that 
was in the way, they say to the men "if you are disposed to go, and if 
you want to leave any money to your family, we will let you have 
$25 down, and take your receipt." Then the man would say. ''That 
will make provision for my family ; I will take that" and so Major 
Engley would pay him. 

Q. What is the meaning of this order : — " Such recruits as he 
will name ? " 

A. It means, he will bring a list of the names ; for instance ; 20 
men ; he will bi-ing me these men and their receipts or contracts, 
under which they were to enlist, and I would take them down, and 
every day send a list to the Governor's office. They were all lodged 
in that department. 

Q. Now, Gen. Francis, is it possible for you to inform us how 
much money you paid under this order ? 

A. Under that particular order ? 

Q. Yes sir. 

A. I hardly think it is, under that particular order. I can tell 
you how nmch under all the orders. 

Q. Your papers will show how much you paid under this order ? 

A. Yes sir. 

Q. The Committee wish to know how much of the full amount 
is paid to Maj. Engley under this order of $50 to a man ; I don't 
know how many — this order requiring the Paymaster General to pay 
Maj. Engley $50, or each recruit in the 14th Regiment that he may 
name ? 

A. This order is to be paid as a part of the advance payment. 

Q. To be taken out of the $225 payment, whenever the latter 
part of the bounty is ordered to be paid ? 

A. That is to say — $75 down as soon as they are mustered in, 
and the $50 was to come off the last bounty payment. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Was $50 paid on the receipts by the men of 
$25. 

A. No, sir ; we paid them $25. The Governor was absent when 
we enlisted the men and gave me a special order to pay $25, and as 
the company were mustered in, I paid them $50, and then $225. 
That is as I showed you the other day, we have had to keep a sepa- 
rate account with each of these men, and can tell you the price every 
man agreed to enlist tor. 

Chairman. I don't myself fully understand how, on Major Eng- 
ley's presenting these receipts for $25 advance bounty, you imme- 
diately pay him that sum, and to the men giving these receipts said 
advance will not be paid. 

Q. Whose receipts does that refer to ? 

A. The men's receipts. 



272 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 



Q. And that with $50 made up the 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. $50 of the -$75 was to be paid to Maj. Engley and the remainder, 
), was to be paid to the men ? 

Mr. Thomas. I don't beHeve that was understood by the Com- 
mittee ? 

Mr. Francis. I think I can make it plain. When these men came 
in, for which I paid Major Engley, — Major Engley might bring in 
fifty names and I would pay him $50 for each of the men named, 
and then I would pay him or certain others on their orders 
$25. Such men as I paid $50, I paid down to come out of the $225. 
To such as I paid $25 it left $200, and in the other $175, as the final 
or last payment. 

Q. By Chairman. This order seems to cover two things : First, 
it authorizes, this order says the Paymaster shall pay to Maj. Engley 
$50 on each recruit that he may name, which is to come out of the 
$225 payment. Thus here, in the same order is another and inde- 
pendent thing it seems from this : — -'" that the Paymaster may pay $25 
to Major Engley on the receipt ot the recruit. If he produces the 
receipt of the recruit for $25, the Paymaster may pay the money to 
Maj. Engley, but that $25 is to be deducted from the first bounty. 

Q. $75 was the first payment? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Then you still have two accounts with the 
same soldier ? 

A. Yes, sir ; that is right. 

Mr. Blake. It would have been a little clearer if it had been done 
at one order ? 

Mr. Francis. If this had been at the beginning as afterwards, it 
would have been better. We had little difficulty in forming one com- 
pany ; but when we had formed one company, and it was growing 
popular — the people bringing in the recruits and then getting permis- 
sion to form a battalion — the recruiting went ahead greatly to my 
astonishment, and the work was very great. I believe that is the 
order which follows the $50 order. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. When was the balance of $75 paid ? 

A. That $50 was paid when the company was mustered in, and 
then the man was charged as having received $75, if his order for 
$25 had been paid, leaving the $50 to come out of the $225. 

Q. Under this order, you paid to Major Engley $75, $50 on his 
own receipt, and $25 on the receipt of the recruit ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not pay anything on his own receipt. What I 
paid was on the receipt of the recruit. 

Q. You don't mean that vou took the receipt of the recruit for 
this $50 ? 

A. Before vou go any further, let me read you the form of the 
contract. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. If I understand, you paid this order ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I required of Major Engley to bring me the con- 
tract from the recruit himself, and then I would report to the Execu- 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 273 

tive Department, and pay him the money, then register them on the 
record. I have some of these contracts here from Mr. Downing, and 
various other men. Mr. Helme, I presume you know him, a very 
energetic man. This was witnessed by Mr. Green, a Bishop out 
there in Missouri. 

"1st November, 1863. We, the undersiged agree , to 'accept and be fully satisfied 
with a bounty of $250 offered by tlie State of Rliode Island for colored recruits," 

Here follows the signatures, witnessed by A. R. Green, Bishop. 
Q. You have no other receipt than that contract for this $50 ? 
A. No, sir. (Another.) 

"Washington, December 21, 1863. We, the undersigned, agree to enlist in the 14th 
regiment R. I. &c., and to accept and be fully satisfied with a bounty of $125 to be 
paid by the State of Rhode Island." (Signed and witnessed.) 

Here is one : 

" New York, Nov. 14th, 1863. We, the undersigned, agree to enlist for the bounty 
to be paid by the State of Rhode Island, &c. A. ALDRICH." 

Here is one of Mr. Downing's : 

" Mr. John N. Francis.— Please pay to Geo. T. Downing for each of us .^TS, of such 
bounty money as we may become entitled to from the State of Rhode Island. Each 
said $75, is in consideration ot expenses to be incurred in our behalf, for passage 
money, &c. Washington, Dec. 21, 1863." 

Mr. Thomas. There is no provision in this contract which bounty 
this is to be taken from. 

Q. By the Chairman. Well, the both of these sums, $50 and 
), were taken out of the $225 payment ? 

A. No, sir ; not both of them out of the $225 ; $50 was taken 
out of $225, and $25 was taken out of tlie advance bounty payment 
— the first payment. 

Q. This advance bounty refers to the first payment ? 

A. Yes, sir ; we class it in this way ; first bounty payment and last 
bounty payment. The first bounty payment means the $75. 

Q. The next order? 

A. This is upon the other point. 

Chairman reads : 

" You will pay to Major Engley twenty-five dollars advance bounty, to be taken out 
of the final payment of $225 dollars, upon the men giving orders for the same. You 
will carry this arrangement out the same as the |50, reporting to this office the names 
of the men so paid. This order covers all after this date." 

Q. This order seems to be materially different ; it authorizes the 
payment to Major Engley in the orders of the men, and in the other 
case, $50 was to be paid whether they gave any order or not. This 
being to their order, it was equivalent to paying it to the men ; but 
the $50 was to be paid to the recruit ? 

A. At the time when that $25 was paid, they were getting men 
from the State of New York, at Albany, and all along the North 
River, where the expenses were light, and as time rolled on they 
cleaned up that region, and pushed along further, and increased the 
expenses imtil they got down into Tennessee, and if they had been 
commissioned to go on, I don't know but they would have had the 
whole Southern Confederacy. 

35 



274 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. By Mr. Blake. This was'an order in addition to the $50 ? 

A. Yes, sir ; after the men came on from Buffalo and that way, 
it was pretty expensive, and then they went down into New Jersey 
and Pennsylvania, and they came in nnder these $25 orders ; a good 
many came in what we call clean. 

Q. And this extra $25 was taken by the recruiting officer, from 
the men, and not deducted by you ; you paid it to their orders ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Have you paid any except on the orders 
of the recruit ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Then, however the order reads, the prac- 
tice has been the same ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By the Chairman. $50 is ])aid independent of the order of 
the recruit ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I had the receipt of the recruit' also — or his contract 
to enlist for $250. I paid no other orders except on his receipt, 

Q. I understood that you paid on that contract? 

A. Yes, sir ; the only evidence I had of the contract Avas the 
man's signature. 

Q. How could that accrue to the benefit of the recruiting officer? 

A. By the difference between that and the bounty. 

Q. By the order of the State it is to be paid to the recruits? 

A. There is a sample of a recruiting advertisement, j^sued in the 
west. It reads: " Black National Defenders, &c. "(Reads.) Mr. 
Downing and Peter brought in some men. Peter made his contracts 
with these men a little different. The Governor had fixed the chan- 
nel through which the recruits should come, with Major Engley for 
his men to go to him. When Peter brought in his men, he made 
his contracts of $50 to come out of the first bounty ; that is, $50 
was to be paid to Peter, and $25 to the recruit, from the first bounty 
payment of $75. Here was a misapprehension, or else it was likely 
to deceive. They would ask, " how liiuch bounty do you pay ?" 
"$300." Then they would demur, I would read his contract and 
they could not understand ; then I would say, " I will lay your case 
before Major Engley, and I will bring Mr. Downing and have the 
case adjusted ;" the result was, we had two or three meetings, and 
after a while the men would consent, and the only difference seemed 
to be whether it was from the first or last bounty payment. I told 
Mr. Downing, after a while, that it was getting to be so much work 
that it was a source of inconvenience, and I did not believe I could 
do anything for him. He wanted me to see the Governor, and see 
if I could not get him an order ; I did so. The Governor said he 
could not open these channels with everybody ; there must be one 
only. Then Mr. Downing proposed this way: " when I have more 
men, I- will tell you what I will do, I will bring my men all before 
you, and I wish you to state distinctly to them, so that every man 
can understand." I said, '• that will be a considerable work, but I 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 275 

will do the best I can." He would bring down four, six, or eight to 
my place of business, and when the papers were signed, then I would 
talk the matter over and ask them if they understood that they were 
to have $200, or $250, and how the money was to be taken out. 
When some of these men came there bringing these bills — bills they 
had posted there, $200 and $250 — they seemed to understand that 
the state paid $300 ; but, in consideration of these men bringing them 
here, they would have it as they agreed, and they seemed to be satis- 
fied ; after a while I said to Mr. Downing, that it was imposing too 
much on me, and he had better turn the men in to Major Engley. 

Q. These men understood that this $50 was a part of their 
bounty ? 

A. Oh, yes, sir, — to come out of the advance bounty. 

Q. It does not appear, that they knew any thing about that it 
was their bounty. 

A. Oh, yes. Here is one — 

" We agree to enlist fot a State bounty of $250. The remaining $50 to be deduct- 
ed for transportation." 

Q. I understand that. That is very different from the other con- 
tract which you read. That may be equivalent to an order from the 
men for $80, as the other contract reads. I don't see how it can be 
so construed. Very likely it was understood so ? 

A. Yes sir. 

Q. But take the writing itself and it does not appear that the 
bounty was rny thing more than they agreed to enlist for ? 

A. Well it does not appear from the writing. 

Mr. Blake. But the fact was that there was no such thing existing 
as a State bounty of $250. 

Q. It might not have occurred to you who have been familiar 
with all the facts, and knew how it was understood ; but to me, tak- 
ing the mere writing of these other contracts, I don't see how you 
have on the face of it any authority to pay the $50 out of the bounty. 
If they understood it all and there is no deception ? 

A. It seemed to be clear that they understood it all. The Maj. 
will remember that I told him the importance of having a distinct 
understanding. I advised him, and I guess he will remember that I 
told him to take the men and talk with them and if they did not 
understand they may have thought that the State's honor was com- 
promised. 

(Major Engley who was present was permitted to explain.) 

Maj. Engley. A lot of men came from the West, thirty in num- 
ber. One man says, "I am promised $225 and the State pays $300." 
I went into the room and explained. The bounty here is $300. The 
agents cannot afford to recruit you, and bring you here and give you 
$300. With this understanding they all said it was right. Major 
Sanford stood there and heard it all. 

Q. Here is another order. No. 28. Order, Nov. 9, 1863. Reads — 

" You will please pay on such men as may give orders for the same, $75, on account 
of the final instalment of bounty, upon the same plan and under the same regulations 
as the $25 and $50. 

(Signed) CHAS. E. BAILEY, &c." 



276 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Gen. Francis. The next order that follows is in relation to the 
same matter ; but between these two, there is another order in rela- 
tion to another squad. 

Chairman reads order 6th November — 

" You will please pay Major J. C. Engley, 250 dollars each on account of bounties 
to fourteen recruits, contrabands from Kentucky and Tennessee, rendering the names 
of the same to this office." 

Q. This is limited to fourteen particular recruits ? 

A. Yes, sir ; there were but thirteen paid from this order. The 
order was for fourteen, but when I came to the company, finding but 
thirteen, I did not pay it, although the order was for fourteen — I held 
the order in abeyance. This was where Major Engley got $250 out 
of pocket. 

Q. Have you the contracts made by these 14th Regt.^men, with 
the recruiting men ? 

A. They are among the papers. 

Q. I would like to see the form ? 

A. They are in the same form as the others. 

Q. Can you find them ? 

A. I might find them, but it would take me half an hour ; if jou 
can wait, I will find them by to-morrow. 

Q. You paid the |250 ?' 

A. I considered that order as imperative, that I was to pay the 
$250 for these men. 

Q. You were under no obligations to investigate ? 

A. No, sir ; I will tell you of this class of recruits, called contra- 
bands, as they have been called. I apprehend there might be mis- 
understanding. I have questioned them. To these thirteen I paid 
$50. I paid the first payment, and several of them came back and 
asked me what it meant. He said he had but $50. I took him alone; 
"where did you come from?" said I. "From Kentucky," said he. 
" How long since you came ?" " Four or five weeks ago, sir." 
" Who owns you there ?" " I don't know about you," said he. He 
turned his head and off he went. Every one of these men that I 
paid confessed it. 

Q. Major Engley did produce to you the written contracts of all 
these men, I suppose ? 

A. It is my impression that he did. Most of the orders that fol- 
low, of that nature, were drawn in this form : [shows one.] 

Chairman reads, giving the names of the men. 

Gen. Francis. Here is an order, No. 24. 

Chairman reads : 

"You will by the direction of His Excellency the Governor, pay for such recruits 
for the 14th Regiment K. I. Heavy Artillery, the sum of one hundred dollars, their 
signature authorizing the same. This order under the same restrictions as 'previous 
ones. 

(Signed) CHAS. E. BAILEY, &c." 

Q. This order seems to differ materially from the others. There 
is no other order requiring their signatures. To whom do you un- 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 277 

derstand that that money is to be paid ? the order does not seem to 
express. 

A. To Major Engley, sir ; I presume that order — he went to the 
Governor and obtained a particular order. That was sometimes the 
case, and particularly so with these contrabands. He would report 
the case to the Executive. I don't know the circumstances. I pre- 
sume that he would obtain the order without reference to the method 
in which they were to go on record, and then, when he brought in a 
list of names they were paid for. That was the case, probably, in 
this instance. He brought in a list of names of what he termed MOO 
men ; upon this order I would pay, and report the names to the Gov- 
ernor, conforming myself strictly in every instance, to the first order. 

Q. You understood this was payable to Major Engley? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Chairman reads order of Dec. 6th, 1863 — 

" You will please pay for such recruits as may be furnished by Major Engley for the 
14th Regiment R. I. Heavy Artillery, one hundred and fifty dollars respectively in ac- 
cordance with other orders and under the same regulations as the previous payments 
of $50, $75, and $100. 

(Signed) CHAS. E. BAILEY, &c." 

Reads order December 16, 1863. 

" You will please pay to Major J. C. Engley, two hundred dollars bounty for the 
following recruits," (naming nine recruits.) "Two hundred and fifty dollars to the 
following contrabands," (naming three.) 

Q. Are these all the orders that you have from the Governor ? 

A. No sir, they are not ; they follow along. I have confined 
myself to these orders. He gave special orders occasionallv when a 
man Avould go to him and represent the circumstances in which he 
was placed; if they were peculiar, the Governor perhaps would issue 
an order to have ^50 bounty paid him, or perhaps, the whole bounty 
of $225. Then Avhenever these contrabands followed, or these high 
priced men as we termed them, then the Governor always issued a 
special order to cover these cases. I will state another case now. 
Sometime in December, Major Engley, reported the names of tAventy- 
one which were termed f 200 men. Upon his furnishing that list of 
names, I took the names and declined any further connection at thai 
time. I wrote a letter to the Governor, saying that I have the honor 
to inform him, that I had a list of the names of twenty-one men pre- 
paring to enlist in the 14th Regiment, and Major J. C. Englev fur- 
nished the sum of $200 which was demanded. In the absence of 
any order (from the Governor), covering these men, I declined pay- 
ing them. The Governor writes in reply — 

" Your letter is just received. His Excellency directs me to authorize you to pay 
to Major Engley two hundred dollars to whom he may direct. 

Yours, Respectfully, &c. 

I then paid him on these twenty-one men $200 each, and the Gov- 
ernor immediately then sent for the parties that brought the men in, 
for an interview. He had them there, and put them under an exam- 
ination. What it was I don't know ; but the result was that in the 
course of two or three weeks after, he handed me back $2,100, recov- 



278 ■ REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

ered from these parties, from these twenty-one, to be given to these 
men — adding -$100 to their bounty. That is the only instance where 
anv attempt that I know of was made to take advantage of the cir- 
cumstances of these men, that has come to my knowledge, or of the 
Governor ; and in that case the Governor took it promptly in hand, and 
made the parties refund. I believe these were men living in the city. 

Q. This money was paid by you to Major Engley ? [ $4200 under 
this order ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. At the time you paid it did you take any contract ? 

A. No sir, I took the names the same as I had taken the others — 
just in the same way. 

Q. There Avas no written contract between the recruiting officer 
and the men ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You had these special orders varying from time to time, under 
Avhich you paid these bounties, of course there has been no que&tion 
raised but what the Paymaster General has paid all the money under 
orders, and from proper authority. I don't know whether it is best 
to go through all these orders. Are there many ? 

A. Yes, sir, there are a considerable many. I am perfectly wil- 
ling to show you, that all this money has been paid upon these orders. 

Chairman. The Pavmaster has shown us the orders of the Execu- 
tive. They vary considerably, not only in amount ; but they vary 
in principle very much-. Some of them are absolutely to pay to 
the recruiting officer, and some to pay to him on the order of the 
recruits, which makes a very great difference in the nature of the 
orders. 

Chairman reads an order for ten recruits — 

" December 9th, 1863. Please paj' J. C. Engley, $250 each of the State bounty for 
the ten following recruits — contrabands enlisting in the 14th regiment R. I. Heavy Ar- 
tillery. (This gives the names of ten men.) 

(Signed) JAMES Y. SMITH." 

Mr. Francis. There is an order for paying a battalion. 
Chairman reads-^ 

"January 15th, 1864. I am directed by His Excellency Governor Smith, to request 
you to pay the members of the Second Battalion 14th Regiment, &c., .$75 dollars ad- 
vance bounty, instead of $50 as heretofore. This will, of course, reduce the bounty 
certificates $25." 

Gen. Francis. What he refers to there is, the first battalion was 
paid $50. 

Q. This $75 was paid to the men, and not to the recruiting officer? 

A. Yes, sir, to the men. 

Q. That was all ? 

A. No, sir ; I will explain, for instance, when it refers to $250, 
when these men were mustered in they were paid $75 ; then he 
ordered $75 more* Then he had been paid $150, and there was a 
balance due him of $100, for which certificates were issued. 

Q. Did vou issue these certificates ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. ' 279 

A. Yes, sir ; would you like to see the form of these certificates 
filled up ? 

Q. By the Chairman. Not now. Are there any other orders 
from the Executive, bearing upon the payment of bounties to this 
regiment ? 

A. There is the first one which provided for the payment of the 
first battalion. 

Chairman reads — 

" December 15th, 1863. First Battalion, 14th Regiment, &c. Major J. J. Corn- 
stock : — You will take the steamer for Newport on the morning of Friday next, at 7 
o'clock. You will see that the arrangements for the paj'ment of bounties are promptly- 
carried out as previously agreed upon, so that no delay shall occur for the embarka- 
tion of these troops for their destination. You will report to His Excellency the Gov- 
ernor on the receipt of this communication." 

(Signed, &c.) 

Q. That was 1 50 ? 

A. Yes, sir ; there are other orders. 

Chairman reads order, Oct. 22d, 1863 — 

" Col. John N. Francis : —Pay the enlisted men in Co. C, $25 on account of the $75 
payment of bounty. 

(Signed) JAMES Y. SMITH." 

Gen. Francis. For every company that was mustered in one 
order followed similar to that. 

Chairman reads order Oct. 6th, 1863 — 

" You will proceed at once to pay Co. C, 14th Regiment, &c., their advance bounty 
if the rolls are all right." 

Q. This was paid to the men ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Chairman reads order Sept, 21st, 1863 — 

"To Co. D. By direction of the Governor, pay fifty dollars of the seventy -five 
dollars advance bounty to Co. B, 14th Regiment, &c. Sept. 15th, 1863." 

Q. That is where the previous $25 had been paid? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Chairman reads order, Sept. 11th, 1863 — 

" By direction of his Excellency the Governor, you will please pay the 4th Com- 
pany of Colored Heavy Artillery, the twenty -five dollars advance, the same as you did 
the first three Companies, taking the same precautions that the men pass the examina- 
tion of the mustering officer before receiving tiieir pay. 

Second. — To-morrow tiie 12th inst., you M'iil proceed to the camp of the 3d Cavalry 
and pay the men of the first two companies upon the rolls being properly made out." 

Q. Previous to the date of this order of Sept. 11th, had a part 
of this bounty been paid to this fourth company — paid to the recruit- 
ing officer ? 

A. I cannot say, unless the $50 order you are alluding to bears 
date prior to that — nothing had been paid, sir. 

Chairman reads order, Sept. 1st, 1863 — ■ 

" By direction of His Excellency the Governor, you ^vill pay the men enhsted for 
the 3d Company R. I. H. A., twenty-five dollars ; the same as the first Company, tak- 
ing great care in examining the men." 

Q. What does this mean ? What sort of an examination did you 
have to make ? 



280 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. It means this ; when they were enhsting men, they would 
report, and the men were calHng for $25 to be paid. Some com- 
plained that it was not paid as quick as they took the oath, although I 
visited the camp twice a week — certain men might be under-size — I 
considered it to mean any such men as Capt. Silvey would pass ; as 
when we paid the hrst company, there were nine men who would not 
pass Capt. Silvey's inspection. That was what was required in the 
examination. In fact, the Governor appointed an examining board, 
to see if they were entitled to pass, and I relied upon their judgment. 
That was the general mode. I asked if the examining committee 
had seen them and Col. Viall, and they were passed over to the mus- 
tering officer. If they were rejected after that by the U. S. muster- 
ing officer, there was no help for it. That is the reason why these 
orders were so guarded. Another order he gave in relation to con- 
trabands — 

" You will please pay Major J. C. Engley for four contrabands named below, when 
you are satisfied on examination that they are such." 

Of course I did not pay that order. I waited, and when the day 
came, I asked the men, and I did not find but two. Capt. Silvey 
rejected two of them and the others both confessed that they had 
been slaves. 

Order September 1. Second part — 
" You will allow the officer on duty in this city, &c." 

Gen. Francis. There, follows in between these orders very fre- 
quently, special orders which relates to certain men. " Pay such a 
man -150 or $25, on account of bounty. Here is one such : 

Chairman reads order, October 13th — 

" By direction of the Governor, you will please pay to Wm. M. Bailey, two hun- 
dred and twenty-five dollars for private George Fuller Johnson, 14th regiment, &c." 

Q. Mr. Bailey did not go into this business. It is endorsed by 
him ? 

A. No, sir. 

Chairman reads order October 22, 1863 — 

" Col. John N. Francis : — Pay enlisted 'men in Company C, 14th Regiment, &c., 
twenty -five dollars on account of seventy -five dollars payment of bounty." 
(Signed, &c.) 

Committee adjourned to 7 1-2 o'clock, evening. 

SECOND DAY EVENING SESSION. 

Question. By the Chairman. I think you stated that ail of this 
money covered by these several orders you have shown us has been 
paid to Major Engley, whether the order named him or not ? 

Answer. Yes, sir, I did so state. He is the only person to whom 
I have paid any money, other than to the man himself. 

Q. The order dated September 17th, ordering j^ou to pay Maj. 
Engley out of the bounty of f 225 payment, also contained another 
order for the payment of $25 to him, on the receipt of the enlisted 
men ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 281 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you the receipts of these men for that $25 ? 

A. Yes, sir. (Produces them.) 

Q. Those two documents are very different as you see, and it il- 
lustrates what I was speaking of. The other on its face does not ap- 
pear to be any thing of the kind. It does not appear to touch the $25 
or cove it at alL 

Gen. Francis. Do you mean thus : Suppose it read $225 instead 
of $200. 

Chairman. Then I don't think it would cover — 

Gen. Francis. I think it would in the sense which they meant to 
express. 

Chairman. Without any other light than this paper it would not 
allow you to pay $100 to any other man ? 

A. No, but it ought to be paid under the order. In the first place, 
he (recruiting officer), elaborated in his contracts ; but it did not 
mean really any more than this language. 

Chairman. This is all plain — 

" Received of J. C. Engley, twenty-five dollars which is to be deducted from our 
bounty." ^ 

There should have been an order from the men to pay $100 to the 
recruiting officer, if this was the meaning. The moment he enlisted 
he would be entitled so $300 ? 

Gen Francis, produces another order — 

" Please pay to Geo. T. Downing of the city of Newport, R. I., the sum of sixty- 
seven dollars of the bounty money due us by the State of R. I., the same being in 
consideration of expenses incurred by said Downing for passage money, &c." 

Chairman. That is all straight. 
Gen. Francis reads another — 

" January 23, 1864. Pay to the order of Ranson Parker, seventy-five dollars on 
such bounty as may become due me by the State of Rhode Island. This order is giv- 
en in consideration of expenses incurred in my behalf." 

Q. I suppose this man understood that the bounty was $300, and 
that this was for expenses ? 

A. In every instance, I suppose. 

Q. Now, here is an order — an agreement, signed by two recruits, 
in which they agree to enlist for a bounty of $200 ; the other hun- 
dred dollars due to each of these men under the laws of the State, 
was paid to Major Engley ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When it was paid, you were satisfied from an examination of 
the men, that it was paid to him by their order and by their consent ? 

A. Well, in reply to that, I can only say that I had questioned 
Major Engley very closely, in every instance, almost, to know if his 
contracts were understood by the men ; he always said they were. 
He said he had taken his men all into a room alone, and had taken 
them privately, to prevent any difference or dissension hereafter. 

Q. You did not examine the men themselves ? 

A. Frequently, when paying them off, I asked them what was 

36 



282 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

the price they agreed to enlist for, and nineteen out of every twenty, 
when I have asked the question of the recruit, has told the exact 
amount, and that has been a matter of no little astonishment to me, 
because I thought that some, after talking the matter over here, might 
get different ideas ; but the truthfulness of the men surprised me. 

Q. It does not seem to me that it would be necessary to go into 
the question as Paymaster ? 

A. No, sir; I did this because the gentleman enlisting them (Maj. 
Engley) was the first man to say to me, ""if there is any complaint I 
wish to know it ;" and I always reported to him at once, if there was 
any discrepancy. If a point was overlooked, we have always aimed 
to make it right. Takino- the whole thino- clear through, to sum it 
all up, I will venture to say, that you cannot take the same number 
of white men and go through with them, without ten times the 
ti'ouble had with these. They would hardly be quite as honest as 
the colored man. 

Q. These agreements of this character, I would like to have 
sorted out by themselves. 

A. If you wish them, we could do that. 

Chairman. There is an agreement, to accept, and be satisfied with 
a bounty of $250. On the back is an order signed by Wm. H. 
Helme — 

" Please pay to James Jefferson or order, the sum of fifty dollars, the balance ot 
bounty for each of these enlisted men." 

Another order — 

" Pay to the order of J. C. Engley. HELME." 

James Jefferson witnessed signature and agreement. 

These men understood the necessity of Dr. Helme's ordering it 
paid, but did not understand the necessity of the recruits ordering it. 
Another — 

" Cleveland, Ohio. 
We, the undersigned, agree to accept and be satisfied with a bounty of two hundred 
dollars, besides the Government (U. S.) bounty. In this agreement the words twen- 
ty-five .dollars are erased." 

This was explained to be owing to the lack of proper blanks — it 
was understood to be irregular. 
Another — 

" Belleville, 111. 
We agree to be fully satisfied with a bounty of two hundred and fifty dollars." 

Another — 

" Providence, Oct. 2d, 1863." 
This agreement is endorsed, " Pay to the order of James Jefferson, fifty dollars for 
each recruit. We, the undersigned, agree to accept, &c., a bounty of fifty dollars, we 
being contrabands from Kentucky and Tennessee." (13 signatures.) 

Q. These are the men covered by the previous order referred to ? 
A. I think they are the thirteen men covered by that order. I 
am fully sure they are. 
Another — 

" New York, Nov. 21, 1863. 
The undersigned accepts a bounty of two hundred and fifty dollars, the balance to 
be paid to F. N. Ballou, for expenses paid for us." 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 283 

Q. An order written apparently by Chas. Brown, to Goodrich the 
recruiting agent, in which there was some inquiry into the charac- 
ter of the signatures, and the date and place of signino-. 

Another — 

" November, 1863. 
Pay Davis H. Turner &fty dollars of the bounty paid me for the cost of transporta- 
tion." 

Chairman. Here are three orders signed by three recruits, all in 
favor of Davis H. Turner, and all witnessed by S. P. Robinson. It 
appears to be $50 Avhich seems to have been altered from $25. The 
$25 was erased and the $50 written. 

(Major Engley was allowed to explain.) 

Maj. Engley. The man (recruiting agent), said he must have 
$50. I told him if the men were satisfied we would pay it, and he 
came back and said it was all right ; but I found that it was not all 
right and we took but $25 from the men. 

Gen. Francis. That is a point upon which a question was raised 
and I paid him only $25 each. There were eight men. 

Q. How did you ascertain this was wrong ? 

A. Just the way you did. It looked suspicious. 

Q. By the Chairman. The sum might have been altered after it 
was signed ? 

Major Engley. It was — and that was the reason it was not paid. 
As soon as I ascertained it was wrong, I rectified it. 

Chairman. Order. NoA^ember 14, 1863 — 

" Agreed to be satisfied with two hundred and fifty dollars, the balance to be paid to 
R. Fessenden for expenses paid for us. (Witness,) ALDRICH." 

Another — 

Providence, Nov. 3, 1863. 
" Agreement. We, the undersigned, agree to enlist in the 14th regiment, &c., for 
two hundred and fifty dollars. The remaining fifty dollars to be deducted for trans- 
portationj subsistence, &c." 

Another — 

Washington, Dec. 26, 1863. 
" The undersigned agree to enlist and be fully satisfied with a bounty of two hun- 
dred dollars, to be paid by the State of Rhode Island." 
(Signed by two recruits.) 

Chairman. We had collected a number of agreements by which the 
recruits agree to accept a certain sum in full for their bounty. It 
may be important to ascertain how much money has been paid in this 
w^ay, to whom and on what authority. All these I have seen, and 
except those in my hand, provide for the payment of the balance. 
The recruit orders it to be paid to somebody. 

Mr. Francis. I can give you the aggregate, but I cannot give you 
the amount of payment on different kinds of agreement. 

(To Mr. Blake.) The Governor has given orders for various 
sums, $25, $50, $75, $100 and $250. 

Mr. Francis. Produced and . read a letter from George T. 
Downing, dated New York, Feb. 7, 1864. 

Chairman. Gen. iFrancis is prepared to furnish a statement of the 



284 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

whole amount of bounties paid to the 14th Regiment, the amount 
paid to the recruiting officers, and the balance remaining on account 
of bounties. 

Gen. Francis. The 14th Regiment is composed of twelve com- 
panies of 141 men each, making 1692 men — not including commis- 
sioned officers. I deduct from this number, drafted men, and men 
sent here from other States, which leaves 1580 to receive the bounty 
of $300 each. It cost the State 1474,000 ; of this amount, thus 
far, there has been paid to the recruits themselves $180,000 ; to re- 
cruiting officers, $66,000. There remains to be paid to the men, as 
the balance of their bounty, $228,000, which sum is to be paid to the 
men, and not to the recruiting officers. The whole amount is 
$474,000, of which sum, $66,000, has gone to the recruiting officer. 

Q. Do you know what portion of that balance is to be paid to the 
recruiting officers ? 

A. No part of it. 

Q. No part of it ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Of this $180,000 which has been paid to the recruits, do you 
know how much has been in person and how much on orders coming 
from them to you ? 

A. Let me see if I understand your question. I should think it 
would amount to full $180,000, perhaps less, $12,000. 

Q. The balance has been paid on small orders given to traders, &c.? 

A. Yes, sir ; they have had the money either of me, or Major 
Engley and his men. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Does this money, paid to recruiting officers, 
include all that has been paid ? 

A. That covers all the expenses of the recruiting. 

Q. Do you know of any persons who have sold watches, or goods 
of any description, to these men in the 14th Regiment, and taken 
orders on the Paymaster ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is there any considerable amount ? 

A. Well, there are a good many people — a considerable many are 
engaged in that way. 

Q. Is that included in the $180,000 ? 

A. By way of explanation, let me qualify ; a large portion of 
these orders I never saw. I am in camp at the table paying the meri; 
the sutler sits there ; the amount due the sutler is thrown down, 
marked $10 ; I say to the man, " here is $10 due the sutler ;" " yes, 
sir," he says, " that's right." I say to another man, "here is a watch 
you bought." "Yes," saj's he. " Shall I pay that? " "Yes," says he. 
To another man I say, " here is a lot of stuff you bought." If any 
man says it is not right, I say, " go to your Lieutenant and see if it 
is right." I never paid a man's order where the order came through 
him, who showed the slightest unwillingness, and I never paid an 
order except in a man's presence, and with his assent to it. 

Q. And you have no reason to suppose that there has been any 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 285 

fraud practiced upon the men in any of these cases, to your knowledge? 

A. Not to my knowledge. I, with Col. Smith, who has been 
with me and has seen my method, and when, at times, many men 
would have been irritated, I have been surprised to see how I have 
maintained my self-composure. I have talked to them pleasantly, 
heard what they had to say, and then let the men have tlieir own way. 
Col. Smith, from the kindness of his heart, made an arrangement for 
that first battalion to be furnished with boots. He furnished these 
goods which were furnished by different parties, he took the bills of 
these different parties and went down to the companies which were 
drawn up by a sergeant to verify each man's account, and then the 
amounts were brought to me and I pencileil them on the margin of 
the rolls, and I will exhibit these accounts to show you how I have 
done the business. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. What did you mean by one hundred 
drafted men wjiicli came from other States ? 

A. We had some drafted men, and the Secretary of War as- 
signed some men from other States to this regiment ; no bounties 
were paid to them. 

JGen. Francis exhibited the company roll, which shows hoAv much 
is due each soldier for bounties, and how much is due from him for 
goods.] This column shows all they have bought. They have made 
me responsible for all this gratuitous work in payment of these boun- 
ties. I would not go through with this work again for any small 
consideration. Here were four companies to be paid at a time. All 
accounts had been compared by two or three clerks, and were ex- 
pected to correspond. As to the watches, I think there have been 
more watches sold in camp than anywhere else. I have not been in 
camp when they were not selling watches. 

Q. Has there been any complaint made by the men to your 
knowledge of being cheated in trades. 

A. Yes, sir ; there have been cases of that kind, when men de- 
murred against paying, I would ask them about the matter. I 
could not find a man who had a watch — they would say they sold 
them for three dollars, and gave twenty. There might have been 
twenty-five cases of that kind. 

Q. Has there been any recruiting officers connected with either 
of these twenty-five cases ? 

A. Not to my knowledge. 

Q. In any case w^here men have complained of being cheated has 
the mustering officer been connected with it to your knowledge ? 

A. I do not know what may have been done, except what has 
been done at this office. I estimate that there has been twenty-five 
cases where men have claimed that they were cheated in buying 
watches. These men that complained, invariably disputed the amount 
due the sutler, and I found but one way — to open the sutler's checks, 
and found the sutler was invariably right. I would count the sutler's 
marks and hand the man his checks, and then tell him to go to his 
Lieutenant and see if it was Avrong. It proved right. We found 



286 REPOET OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

that these men who disputed the sutler's checks would dispute every- 
thing. To another man we would say, "you owe the sutler $8 — the 
Major, 125." " Yes," he would say, " that's right." Now I think 
these exceptional cases, where they have been disputed, I think they 
may be reduced down to less than fifty men. To my mind, it has 
been a matter of astonishment that the thing has been distorted so 
much. I think the officers in camp made a mistake when they told 
them they need not pay for these things. I will give a case in point. 
A man by the name of Bristol Francis — whose receipt I found to- 
night — he owed on his order twenty dollars for a watch, and ten dol- 
lars for money ])aid, and then he owed the sutler thirty-eight dollars ; 
I took thirty dollars on hig order ; I then paid the sutler thirty-eight dol- 
lars, and gave him seven dollars and he went away and moaned over it. 
The next time he came, he said he had been cheated of fifty dollars. 
The lieutenant examined his checks and found it all right ; he was 
noisy about it and wanted the lieutenant to come and see me about it, 
and he said he would come, and I explained. Every time I went 
there, he would send me a writing, and the next time I came I took 
the writing and showed him how it was. " Now," said he, " I think 
I understand it." Next time I found him, he said, " I suppose I 
shall have to pay that twenty dollars ; they told me that I need not 
pay it." I think he said, that I differed from him ten dollars. Said 
I, " I will tell Major Engley." That was one of the most determined 
men in the lot, and I think he told me that he had been encouraged 
not to pay it. 

(Genei'al Francis here related the case of a substitute from New 
Hampshire who having received his money as substitute, claimed the 
bounty of Rhode Island.) 

Col. Smith and myself did the best we could to get the men to save 
their money. We talked to them about putting it in the Savings 
Bank. He has collected all the way from <BoOOO to 85000 for money 
deposited with him to be sent to their families, &c. The night Co. K, 
was paid off, twenty-two of their checks Avere stolen, and some 
of them complained that they had money stolen from them that 
night, and under such circumstances it is fortunate that they were 
checks. Here is a case of a contraband — as high as $250 ; when I 
came to pay him, he had all that was due him and more. Perhaps a 
watch peddler would come down and sell him a Avatch, and the sutler 
would have another claim, and when the company roll was called, 
that man w'ould not be called. When they asked the cause why they 
were not paid, I had to say there is nothing due to him. I have an 

order now for -142 from Lieutenant , who went out in the 2d 

battalion, and I guess I have one of these orders on file, for more 
than the whole amount of his bounty. He w^ent in for getting every 
thing he could and giving an order, and then he deserted, and they 
have not caught him yet. There was another extreme case, as told 
me by one who accompanied us : I went down to pay off, and found 
a man whose wife of a recruit lived with him ; he w^ent down with 
us. After a brief interview, he asked, " how much money do you 
think he had with him ?" * He said, he " gave him $85." He had 



ON BOUKTY FRAUDS. 287 

but 175 bounty paid him at that time. He had bought cigars and 
sold them for a dollar a box more than he gave for them, and increased 
this funds bj other sources. 

Q. When, a man enlists, do you give him a certificate for his 
bounty ? 

A. No sir. When men enlist and they make out the rolls — Capt. 
Silvey certifies the rolls — then I take the rolls and compare them 
with my record, and then I get my funds and get ready to pay and 
await an order from the Governor. There is every phase of charac- 
ter to be found among that class of people. Sometimes there would 
be a squad where every man had $75 du<^ him ; and then another man 
had spent 'nearly all; but few of the latter however. 

Q. Have you in any instance in this, or in any other_ regiment, 
given certificates of the bounty before the bounty is payable? 

A. No, sir ; I never have issued a certificate of that kind ? 

Q. I will explain why I ask that question. I have heard a story 
in the street, that one person who had enlisted for some of the regi- 
ments, I think the 3d Cavalry, wanted some money, and the bountv 
was not due. He had a certificate of the paymaster, and that certifi- 
cate was discounted by some friend of the paymaster's. 

A. No, sir : that shows how things can be distorted for a purpose. 
That was the reason why I let a man have twenty-five dollars. Those 
cases were so common they annoyed me much. I had to send them 
from the office, and what did they do ? They would go down to some 
brokers or parties who had money and sell an order on their bounty, 
upon such terms as they could agree. Some would ask where shall I 
get this money that I want ? I said, " you must go to some man 
who has money, who is willing to loan you or cash your order." I 
did send one man to Stokes, and said, " I will give you a piece of pa- 
per to show that you are a veteran and that there is so much due you." 
There were some men who had been in A. & W. Sprague's employ, 
who said they could go to Amasa Sprague and he will give them the 
money, and he would perhaps get it in that way or of some one else. 
Some men would go to the Governor and say that their circumstances 
were peculiar, and the Governor would issue an order to pay them. 

Q. It is important for you to state this distinctly. Have you ever 
done this with any knowledge or suspicion that there was any unfair- 
ness or any advantage taken of the necessities or imagined necessities 
of the men, on the part of the men who furnished it ? 

A. I have had no knowledge of what was done because in most 
instances I had no means of knowing what the terms were any more 
than of mercantile firms getting discounts, on their business transac- 
tions. 

Q. There has been no arrangements between you and any one 
else ? 

A. No, sir. That is to say, lam no participant with any parties. 
I was sorry I ever gave any knowledge to men out side, that there 
was any thing due them, because it was so easily distorted. There are 
some peculiar cases which arise that tries a man and you scarcely know 
what to do, — women sometimes come in pleading and crying, and stat- 



288 ~ KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

ing they were in a suffering condition. Col. Smith perhaps»would be 
here. The money is due and he would kindly advance a sum to 
meet the wants of ■the women until the certificates were ready. 

[This closed the examination of Gen. Francis at this session.] To- 
Avards the close of Major Engley's examination on the 3d day, he 
was recalled, and testified as follows : 

Gen. Francis — recalled. 

Chairman. Have you personally come in contact with the men of 
this regiment ? 

A. I have come in contact with every man personally — every in- 
dividual in that regiment on more than one occasion. I have with 
two-thirds .of the regiment come in contact with them twice in two 
payments — with the last or third battalion the first time. With the 
first two battalions no dissatisfaction was expressed, and all the dissat- 
isfaction is confined to the last one or two companies of the third bat- 
talion and the sums disputed in the aggregate will amount to less 
than $500. One thing further with regard to this disputed money 
which is thus spoken of. Some men, quite intelligent men, would 
come and the Major would talk with them, and ask them if there 
were any colored men living in their neighborhood and if they could 
go and get recruits — "oh yes ; they would say ;" '* suppose I let you 
have some money and go back, do you think you could get recruits." 
They would say yes. Now, he would say, I will tell you what I 
will do, 1 will let you take seventy-five dollars, and take your receipt 
for you to go and get recruits and that seventy-five dollars shall 
come out of your bounty, but if you do well I will not take it out of 
your bounty. I have met with six or eight men who admitted that 
they had had the money, and it was Major Engley's money. He says 
that to every man he carried out his promise faithfully. Where the 
men earned the money he let them have it. When they were gone 
three weeks, and spent the money, and did not bring any men into 
camp, he took it from their bounty. That coupled with the other 
statements I have made covers everything that I know of which 
can be called dissatisfaction. 

FURTHER TESMIMONY OF COL. JOHNN. FRANCIS. 
[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Question. Have you seen that statement. [Examines a copy of 
the statement of Wm. Mercer.] 

Answer. I have a copy of this statement in my pocket — of Wm. 
Mercer. I would like to take this statement beginning at that por- 
tion which refers to the State bounty — of that portion that refers to 
Major Engley I have no personal knowledge. He (Mercer) says, 
"that, furthermore of the f 300 bounty, which he was to receive when 
he was recruiting for the 14th Regiment, he lias received only $15, 
which was the first instalment." That is his assertion very plain, that 
he has received but $75 which was the first instalment. Now Mr. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 289 

Chairman I would like to show his contract for enlisting for |250 
bounty, because he refers later in this affidavit to f 300 bounty. There 
is his agreement to enlist in the 14th Regiment for |250 bounty, 
with other men. 
Chairman reads — 

Detroit, September 3d, 1863. 

" We, the undersigned, each agree to go to Providence, R. I., under the direction 
of Capt. Works and Engley, and enlist in the colored regiment of Heavy Artillery 
for a bounty ol $250, besides such pay, bounties, rations and clothing as the Govern- 
ment allows. 

Signed by William Mercer, and 10 others ; Robert Winn, Osten Miller, Calvin 
Rouse, Edward Lasnett, Richard Studge, ^WiUiam x Mercer (his mark,) George 
y^ Washington, (his mark.)" 

Mr. Francis. I would like to show the record taken at the time 
(exhibits book.) Here is the amount $250. Here the $50 to come 
out of the $225, $50 was to come out when they were assigned. Here 
is a receipt dated August (it should be October 8th, probably) where 
$25 was advanced. 

Providence, Aug. (Oct.) 8, 186 . 
"Received of J. C. Engley, twenty -five dollars of my bounty from the State of 
Rhode Island." 

I think there is an error in the date. This man admits of having 
received $75 of his first instalment. There is a receipt given at 
Terre Haute, signed October 27th, 1863 : 

" Received of C. A. Fuller, this day the sum of forty-five dollars." 

Providence, Nov. 2, 1863. 

" Received of J. G. Engley, $20 in full for transportation of , to Chicago, $18, 

he balance of transportation for himself, to Indianapolis, ^2." 

There is a receipt dated November 13, 1863 : 

Providence, Nov. 13, 1863. 
" Received of J. C. Engley $175, of my bounty." (Signed) WM. X MERCER, 
(his mark,) and witnessed by Mary Engley. 

He came to Major Engley's house and he paid him $175. He 
says further in his affidavit ; " The certificate of the balance of his 
bounty, bears on its face only the sum of $85. There is the certifi- 
cate. When he went out with the battalion it was made out for 
$100 and certified to by this officer — 

State of Rhode Island, Jan. 20, 1864. 
" It appears from the record of this oflBce, we find the sum of one hundred dollars 
due William Mercer, a recruit for the 14th col'd regiment, R. I. H. A., Co. E." 

JOHN N. FRANCIS, 
Paymaster General, R, I. Militia. 
" I certfy that the above named William Mercer was duly enrolled in Co. E, 14th, 
&c., and has been received into this camp, &c." 

Turning this over, he refuses to sign and it is written on the back, 
" J. M. A." (James M. Addeman,) 

" Declines the settlement on the ground that the amount due is not suflScient, and 
that he has not received his second bounty." 

There is endorsed upon that — 

" Due, John N. Francis, Paymaster General, $15." 

Gen. Francis. That is mine ; I advanced the money to Col. Smith 



290 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

for a pair of boots, $9, and he paid Mr. Barnaby $6. He had bought 
clothes of Mr. Barnaby ; that is the way he gets at the $85 ; but the 
certificate bears upon its face the sum of ilOO. There is the con- 
tract for $250 that I showed you, and he has liad it appears $365. 
Mr. Fuller who was engaged in enlisting for Major Engley, said to- 
day, that he had other receipts for amounts where he had advanced 
this man money — lesser sums than those receipted here — $5, $10, $15 
at a time. To show you how this is carried out, I will show you the 
roll of Co. E, and how it is made up, and take this man's case. (Pro- 
duces it.) These men are marked here "$50 out of $225 ," 

" men enlisted for $250." Most of these enlisted for $300. All 
these certificates came in from this battalion on the 12th of March, 
and were paid to Col. Smith. All the men signing until you come 
down to Mercer. I had paid Mercer seventy-five dollars, and Major 
Engley fifty dollars, and seventy-five dollars besides on the other re- 
ceipts, making two hundred dollars, and there is his certificate for the 
other one hundred dollars. These rolls and the book of course must 
correspond, and would show an error at anytime when made. They 
are made out with a great deal of care, and take a great deal of time. 
So responsible a work is it, that I do not allow them to go out of my 
office, until I personally examine them. 

Take that deposition of David E. Howard, thrown m to day with 
the two orders. I know there was but one order. The order was 
in my office and I am ready to testify to it most fully. Then again 
he says he has made three applications for his bounty, and could not 
obtain it. Now I will show you gentlemen. Here are the man's 
enlistment papers which bear date February 19. Here is the Gov- 
ernors order dated February 24. It reads — - 

" Col. John N. Francis, Paymaster General : 

I learn through Major Engley that David E. Howard was enlisted by him for Quar. 
termaster Pearce ; Engley has no charge of the recruit. I enclose an enlistment pa. 
per and the certificate of muster, which will be proof of its correctness. His Excel 
lency requires you to pay §150 of the .?oOO State bounty." 

" Received $150 of John N. Francis, Paymaster General." 
It was paid in fifteen minutes after it was presented. 
Q. Was not that paying more than you were paying to others ? 
A. I pay just as the Govornor ordered. When Howard first 
called on me in the morning, I said I have no evidence that you are a 
recruit, nor evidence that you are enlisted in the 14th Regiment. If 
you will bring the necessary papers and order, I will pay you. Then 
he went to Col. Bailey, and got his enlistment papers and I paid him. 
This man was a recruit who had enlisted afterward, and would not 
have been entitled, until ordered to be paid in the usual form to the 
others. Then he would have had $75 ; but the Governor was liberal 
and ordered him to be paid $50. I will testify further than this, that when 
I paid this $50 Chace was by, and he says : " What are you going 
to do with that order ?" "You furnish me the order (says Howard) 
and I will pay it." Chace says West destroyed the order and I have 
nothing to depend upon but your honor." "Well," says he "bring 
me the order and I will pay it." As this order was drawn, the upper 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 291 

part of the order represented a bill for services rendered by a Mr. 
West, and went on to say what for, and that Avas acknowledged by 
his signature, and below that was an order for -^20 to be paid for the 
above services. His signature appeared on the paper twice. When 
the order came in Major Sanford was present, and I took it and says 
here's an order, I want to show you in what form orders come to me. 
So I read it to them and I have a pretty good recollection of the 
whole affair. Now says I there's a man who has had this service ; I 
shall ask him about it and see if it is correct. 

Q. Mercer did not deny that he had the goods ? 

A. No, sir ; Mercer did not deny that he had the goods ; but 
what he complained of was that he had a pass approved by the Ad- 
jutant and Colonel, and that Major Engley took his pass and sent him 
back to the Island. Mercer admitted that the bills were all right. I 
do not know of any of these men that have received the bounty of 
Major Engley, but what they complain — they say that the money 
paid them by Major Engley was not to be a part of their bounty, but 
their receipts show that it was. They say that the money was to be 
received by them for recruiting services. (Reads the letter to Maj. 
Engley dated November 13, 1863.) 

Statement of William Mercer. 

" Camp Smith, Providence, R. I. 
Received of Major J. C. Engley, one hundred and seventy-five dollars to be used in 
recruiting men for the 14th regiment R. I. H. A., and if not properly used to be de- 
ducted from my bounty." 

That's the way he heads his statement under his own signature. 

TESTIMONY OF COL. AMOS D. SMITH, 3d. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Question. Explain, Col. Smith, what military office you hold ? 

Answer. I am State Commissioner for Rhode Island. I am one 
of the Governor's personal staff with the rank of colonel. 

Q. What are your duties as Allotment Commissioner ? 

A. To receive moneys sent me from time to time from the Allot- 
ment Commissioners whom I send to the army, and to collect myself, 
and to disburse the pay of the soldiers to the families of the soldiers. 

Q. Receive their bounty or their pay ? 

A. Their due whatever it is — their bounty or their I'egular month- 
ly pay- 

Q. Explain what the arrangement is for the payment of bounties 
to the men after they leave here ? 

A. After they leave here there is sent to the proper officer — the 
Adjutant of the battalion or whoever may be in command ; perhaps 
the Senior Captain — it is in the form of a certificate. When they 
arrive in camp each man signs his bounty certificate, it is witnessed 
by the Adjutant and the camp is named, and they are returned to 
me. I endorse them and draw the money fiom the Paymaster Gen- 
eral and disburse it as money allotted. 



292 REPOKT or THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. According to the direction and orders of the men ? 

A. Their own direction, sir. I am merely a servant to the men as 
it were, — 

Q. You understand now that I wish to explain the whole mode of 
procedure in reference to these bounties ? 

A. The last bounty is paid to the meji in the form of a Bounty 
Certificate ; that is, it goes to them — it is sent to them in that form. 
The reason is, that before we pay the last bounty we wish to know 
that the men are in camp, and witnessed by the Adjutant or whatever 
officer is in command, and after they are signed and witnessed, they 
are returned to me and I send it in each instance by the Allot- 
ment Commissioner. He takes his book with him, and I take 
their disposition of it upon a book, and to save labor he takes this 
book and gives them a check. I instructed him, if they wanted it, to 
let them have $50 and take their check for the amount, and give who- 
ever they send it to here — give them their check for the balance, and 
return me the other check as cash, and then I collect the whole of the 
certificate. 

Q. You collect the certificates ere ? 

A. Yes, I endorse them all, sir. 

Q. And disburse the money according to the orders of the men ? 

A. Yes, sir ; according to their orders. Now I will state that 
again. The men say we want money. Very well, you shall be ac- 
commodated. I told the Allotment Commissioner I would limit them. 
Do not let them have more than $25 if you can help it — $50 at the 
utmost. Let them have that money and let them sign that check as a 
receipt — as a voucher. Then there is $125 left and he makes out another 
check for $125 which the man takes and puts it in a letter for father, 
mother, sister, brother or friend, and they come to my office and got 
the balance. The $125 and $50, balance the certificate, and then 
$125 dollars only to draw from the Paymaster General. 

Q. On this system there is an opportunity for sharpers to discount 
these certificates. 

A. Well, they do sir, they have in New Orleans. They have in 
the cavalry regiment. The men there have endorsed them over and 
sold their checks, some of them, but not to such a degree as before. 
In every instance I denounced it. I have told my commissioners of 
it, and I have particularly presented to them the temptation placed 
before them, but they never have yielded. 

Q. Are these certificates payable without you endorsement ? 

A. No, sir ; they take the risk and they buy them at the risk of 
the man's desertion. 

Q. How can these be sold in New Orleans ? 

A. The man says here is the certificate, and he makes it payable 
to the man he sells it to instead of myself. 

Q. Mr. Thomas. He may have given two checks ? 

A. Yes sir. Some of them liave given five. The Paymaster does 
not pay them until they are endorsed. It is their property after all. 
And here is a man — in several instances down in New Orleans — the 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 293 

man says to another, " my friends have died and now I want to nego- 
tiate this ; I want to sell it." Well, the man bought it, for what dis- 
count, I do not know. It is something over which Ave can have no 
control, because it is their property. It they propose or desire to 
make it over to you or payable to your order, why they have a right 
to do it. 

Q. Has any money been put into your hands as Commissioner by 
the men of the 14th regiment. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Can you state somewhere near the amount ? 

A. Well, sir, I will state as near as I can. I have received from 
them, I should judge, well on to $200,000. Take it altogether, I 
should think one hundred and fifty to two hundred thousand dollars, 
perhaps more than that. The bounty certificates of the 2d battalion 
for the last payment alone amounted to $85,775, and for the 3d bat- 
talion $78,670 ; some desertions and some deaths reduce it. This is 
only two battalions and that their last payment. There is over 
1165,000. I think I received |2G0,000 and upwards. I brought 
here $23,000 as one time. Have over $3,000 dollars from each com- 
pany that has been paid. 

Q. You visited these battalions yourself ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You were present when the Paymaster was paying them off? 

A. Yes, sir ; with the exception of three companies when I was 
at Morris Island. Cyrus G. Dyer I appointed in my stead, or Capt. 
Dyer he is now. 

Q. State whether or not you have heard any complaints from 
these men of the 14th Regiment of their being defrauded out of any 
portion of their bounty by recruiting officers ? 

A. I have, sir. 

Q. Have you had occasion to examine into any of these com- 
plaints ? 

A. I have sir thoroughly. 

Q. Did you satisfy your own mind whether the complaints were 
well founded or otherwise ? 

A. I am well satisfied sir, that they were unfounded. 

Q. In every instance ? 

A. Yes, sir, without an exception. 

Q. Do you recollect any particular instance of complaints of this 
kind ? 

A. Well, sir, I know in the case of Mercer — I am familiar with 
that, and there are others, but I do not know as I could call the 
names of the parties, it was Wm. Mercer. 

Q. Do you know this Wm. Mercer ? 

A. I knew him sir, well. I know that this man had received all, 
and more than he had deserved. I know that he was paid seventy- 
five dollars first. I know that Major Engley has sent him away. I 
have seen the paper that the man signed, agreeing if he did not pro- 
cure men — which he did not procure, as I understand Major Engley, 



294 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

if he did not bring the men, that the money should be taken out of 
his bounty. If he did bring the men he shoidd receive that as a 
present for his work. He went away to New York, was gone some- 
time, squandered money in drinking and excess, came back and per- 
suaded the Major to let him go again. He went and came back — no 
men, and the Maj. found him up here in the Hollow, in one of those 
houses of ill-fame in bed with a woman, and then sent him down to 
the Island, taking the money which he advanced as his bounty. Well 
the man's orders and bounty too — he has received more than $400 
which General Francis will give you in detail. 

Q. Who is this Wm. Mercer ? Do you know where he lives ? 

A. I do not, I only know him as a recruit of the 14th Regiment. 

Q. Do you know any thing about his reputation for truth ? 

A. No sir, none of his antecedents — nothing only floating ru- 
mors that he was a fast man, and men in the regiment that now I 
could not name, looked upon him as a sharper. 

Q. There is a statement or deposition which purports to be made 
by him — the same thing has been printed. 

A. This is the same as is in the papers — (after examination) — yes, 
sir. Major Engley's books show that he did not, of course I cannot 
vouch for the fact — but I have no reason to doubt the gentlemen who 
say they did not, for where men have been away, and brought other 
men, they have been dealt with fairly and gentlemanly. 

Q. Do you know that Captain Alwyn ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is that deposition in the Captain's writing ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I had two letters from him to-day, which is the same 
writing. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did this captain stand in some such un- 
friendly position that he would be likely to seek opportunity to make 
this testimony ? 

A. I should think he did. From his letter this morning I do not 
know what reason he has for doing so. Unless it was that the men 
— I do not wish to cast aspersions on his character. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. He is supposed to be one who wrote anony- 
mous communications to the papers respecting State officers ? 

A[ Yes, sir ; the correspondent who has written letters signed H. 

Q. You speak of a letter received this morning? 

A. Yes, sir, 

Q. Will you look at that letter ? 

A. (Examines.) Yes, sir ; that is my writing. 

Q. Will you explain the letter ? 

A. I shall have to go back to the 1st battalion. They were clamo- 
rous, the men were. We could pay them no money. We were fear- 
ful that if they were paid they would desert. They came up there in 
the mud above their shoes and over their shoes. They came to the 
point of taking the disposition of their bounty. There Avere a hun- 
dred of them. They said they must either have money, or boots and 
tobacco, shirts and mittens. I did not know what to do. I came 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 295 

down and saw the Governor, and they said (I told him) that they 
would not come away from the ground, unless they had what they 
wanted. I laid the matter before him : Well, he says in his way, 
" they must have them." " I shall get them, shall I ?" " Yes, sir," 
said he. I went right out then. That was the only consideration or 
consultation I had given the subject. It came upon me quick. I 
made my decision quick and acted upon it. I went to Huntoon's first. 
I never knew the man and when I arrived there he was not there — 
neither his son. His clerk was there and I told him these men want- 
ed tobacco, and I should like to have him furnish them, not to exceed 
$5, each, and he said he would. Said I they will be coming in now. 
I told him I would make arrangements to pay him. I went to Mr. 
Snow ; I knew he had the best stock of cavalry boots in town and 
everybody knows so who knows any thiiig about it. I went to school 
with him. I told him that these men wanted boots. I told him to 
"sell them as reasonably as you can." I then enquired who had fur- 
nished clothing for the soldiers, and I was told "Mr. Barnaby provides 
that." Previous to that I did not know the man lived. Mr. Barnaby 
was not in ; his clerk Avas. I told him these men wanted shirts a 
good deal — gloves drawers and stockings and that I should like for 
him to have the trade, as he had made the clothes for the soldiers pre- 
viously. He said he would lay it before Mr. Barnaby when he came 
in. I then went to the camp ground, and Captain Fry took his men 
down. I think Co. A. When he took in the men to Mr. Snow's, there 
has been no dispute ; the other men let their men come down and go 
in like sheep. They came down and wanted boots — Mr. Snow 
bought boots of extravagant sizes — lO's to 14's, sizes that he could not 
sell to other men. Mr. Barnaby bought 40 dozen shirts; and they 
come to me and stated that parties were down on the Island selling 
these goods ; and said they, "if I have this stock of goods and they 
supply the men, certainly I cannot move my shirts or my extravagant 
sizes of boots from lO's to l-l's, but it would be a loss on my hands, 
and I must sell them at auction." I had seen these men and told them 
I would see that they were paid. That was the reason I wrote this 
letter. Their sutlers. Chase and Bowen said — "as Mr. Barnaby 
has this contract, can't we sell caps." Certainly, said I. There is a 
man selling caps there now. Says he, that's us. Said I, "if you are 
selling caps, why come and ask me." Upon the strength of that they 
bought goods, shirts, gloves, and then Mr. Coffin, he took his boots 
down and peddler's trash — so that these men, had I not written this 
letter would have suffered. I wrote Mr. Coffin in protection to 
the men, (Barnaby, &c.) 

Q. Who is Mr. Coffin ? 

A. He is a peddler — not a sutler sir. 

Q. Was he in camp selling these goods then ? 

A. Yes, sir ; down on the Island. I sent that letter to Dutch 
Island to Mr. Coffin. I think I sent it down by Mr. Chace — my im- 
pression is that I did not put it in the office. Col. Viall was well 
aware that the nien were coming down, and I wrote him this after he 



296 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

(Col. V.,) and been up the week previous, and I would write him 
about it. (Another letter ?) 

This was a letter informing him of the fact that they were coming 
and as it was now cold weather, I wrote that letter that they might 
be as comfortable as they could be while there. It was no seeking of 
my own, this furnishing goods to the men. It was their own seeking. 
They were clamorous. They said they would not leave the ground 
unless we did. We could not pay them the money, because if we 
had we should have been minus the men. 

Q. Mr. Thomas. You say that Col. Viall knew, previous to that 
letter, that they were coming down. 

A. Yes, sir. By the way, Col. Viall played me double. He was 
saying " all right," "let them come," and at the same time he was 
throwing his influence for Chace and Bowen, for reasons which you 
may guess. He received, I do not know what, from them; but he said 
he would see that they sold no gloves. I talked with him, gentlemen, 
because I felt interested ; because I had said to Mr. Huntoon and 
others, that I would see that they got their pay. Chace and Bowen, 
wanted to buy tobacco of Mr. Huntoon; said I "take it," and so for 
the 2d battalion. Mr. Huntoon sold his tobacco to Chace & Bowen. 
But these men (dealers), had got their goods — their shirts, &c. It 
was in February, and March was coming on and they certainly could 
not move their goods— their shirts and their boots on hand of these 
extravagant sizes lO's to 14's, which none but colored men could 
wear, and therefore I felt interested in protecting them. Therefore I 
said, if you do this, I will see that you are paid — because it was not 
of my own seeking, and it would require a great deal of persuasion 
to do it for another regiment. 

Q. Did you assume any responsibility for the goods to be deliv- 
ered ? 

A. No sir^ not really ; though Mr. Barnaby made out his bill 
"A. D. Smith, 8d to J. B. Barnaby, Dr. — The others made them 
out to Company A, &c. I told Mr. Barnaby that was rather steep. 
I did not like it. He will testify that I told him that I did not like 
ti or think it right. 

Q. Was there any understanding whatever between you and Mr. 
Barnaby, or these traders, that you would be responsible for the price 
of the goods ? 

A. No, sir ; I told these men "sell as reasonably as you can. " 

Q. Did you not in any way become responsible ? 

A. No, sir ; I merely by word of "mouth said I will see you paid. 
Of course they said to "we shall look to you" and we said "when 
we settle with the regiment" — the men want the goods dnd we will 
see that you are paid — we had to say that. 

Q. Individually you took no responsibility? 

A. Not at all, sir. 

Q. Did you have any compensation at all ? 

A. No, sir, nothing was ever said about it. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 297 

Q. You have not received any thing directly or indirectly ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Nor any promise — you have no expectation of receiving any 
thing ' 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Mr. Thomas. Your reasons then for sending these men down 
to sell, was because the sutlers did not keep a supply ? 

A. Certainly, sir. They had not the means to buy such a stock 
of goods as was necessary to furnish those men, and then the arrange- 
ment was made before any — what I mean is the arrangement was 
made right upon the spot, and thei-e being other companies who said 
they wanted the same. I told the parties they probably would want 
them and they could have the chance to supply them. The reason 
that I gave it to these parties, was not that I had any preference for 
them above other men, but it was a great deal of work even to take 
three accounts and consolidate them and put them upon the roll and 
then pay them. 

Q. Have you read that statement of Col. Viall ? 

A. (Examines it.) That sir, is in any light — unequivocally 
false. He knew that we were coming and knew that we were to fur- 
nish the men with these goods — for I taked with him before that let 
ter (of mine) several times in regard to the matter. 

Q. Did he make any objections whatever ? 

A. None at all, sir. The only objections he made were to the 
boots. He said the legs were too long, and he himself advised Snow, 
in furnishing the 2d battalion, to cut theirjegs down so that they could 
get their pants in, for it did not look well on parade. That was after 
the 1st battalion was furnished, and that was while the boots were 
being made for the Second Battalion, about which he says, he never 
knew they were coming until I wrote him that letter. He himself 
had been into Snow's and told him that he had better alter them and 
make the legs common size instead of high legs. 

Q. Previous to this letter then the fii'st battalion had been sup- 
plied by the same parties ? 

A. Oh, certainly, yes sir, and that is where he made the objection 
about the high boots, and he went in after that and called at Mr. 
Snows, and himself suggested to Mr. Snow, the propriety of the legs 
for the second battalion being made shorter. 

Q. Have you any knowledge whatever as to the truth of the first 
assertion there ? 

. A. Do you wish to know whether he has received any thing ? I 
know Barnaby gave him a whole suit of clothes. I know that 
Snow informed me that he had given him a pair of $18 boots, 
and what else he might have received I know not, sir. That nice suit 
of clothes that he wears now is one that Barnaby gave him for his 
kindness and attention while down there. 

Q. Did you know the sutlers that were employed in the camp. 

A. Chace & Bowen ? I do sir. Those were the two parties who 
came to me. 
38 



298 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Did you order them out of the camp, 

A. I ordered the Colonel to close them up, and when I went down 
the second time to pay the second bounty, and from the fact that they 
had repeatedly told that they would not sell those boots and shirts, 
and the Colonel had said that he would see that they did not. When- 
ever we went down these things were placed aside, and as soon as we 
lett, they were selling. Well, I thought it not quite respectable. I 
like an open enemy ; but when a man tells me he will do so and so, 
and does different, wliy it touches me. I went down there and I said 
to the Colonel, those men are not doing as they agreed to do, and 
they are selling these things after these parties had these goods, and if 
they were furnished by these sutlers they were a loss to them, and it 
was a reflection upon me as I had told them to go there and sell those 
goods. I ordered them closed. Well, sir, he was closed that day, 
and the next day until 10 o'clock. 

Q. This letter was signed by you ?s Allotment Commissioner? 

A. Yes sir : I gave him that order in my official capacity as Colonel. 
This was a verbal order. Well, sir ; he came to Providence and the 
Sutler. I had no desire to injure him or to do any unkind or ungen- 
tlemanly act. I merely wished them to know that there was a power 
in Israel. He came up to see the Governor and the Governor told 
him it was in my hands. He came back and we had a talk, and he 
told me that the thing should be all right, and though, sir, I could have 
removed the men from the Island, still I was magnanimous and they 
opened the very moment we got through with our conversation, when 
he gave me his word of honor as a man that those things should not 
be sold. And I came to that very slowly. I did not seek notoriety, 
neither did I desire at anv time to show my authority. I seek to live 
quietly. But there was this continued invasion of men landing when 
he had put up a placard, that no men should land to suttle or sell their 
goods. While to have them go on, and know, that they were selling 
articles that these men were looking to me for protection in, why per- 
haps I did as some members of the Committee might have done. 

Q. You sent these traders down without any personal interest 
whatever, and without any persons con)iected with the State govern- 
ment having any interest in it ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I had nothing that actuated me but the good of 
the men, and if it had not been the result of thoughtless action, I 
never should have done it, because I was not aware of the magnitude 
of the thing. 

Q. You did it, supposing it to be for the interest of the regiment 
and the good of the men ? 

A. Yes, sir ; and I believe, to-day, gentlemen, that seventy-five 
per cent, more of those men have been kept from the hospital by 
having those things — those nice boots and warm shirts — than there 
would have been, had they not had them ; for if you could have seen 
the men up there in their condition then, and with the coughs and 
colds they had, you would have hastened for them. But had I con- 
sidered the magnitude of the thing, and the trouble in whatever 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 299 

direction you might look at it, it was going to cost, I should never 
have entered upon it. 

Q. Do you know anything in regard to the prices they were paid 
for these goods ? Whether they sold them at a fair price or not — at 
reasonable or ordinary prices considering the risk ? 

A. Well, sir ; Snow sold boots to them for $9, which he sells in 
his store for $9. He sold last week to the cavalry, boots for <i^8,50, 
which he sells in his store for $9. I am not aware that either of them 
charged any more than other traders would have done, and I am not 
aware that their prices wei-e exorbitant. 

Q. Were the men required by any order to purchase goods ? 

A. Not to my knowledge, sir. 

Q. Do you know of any person having authority, who issued such 
an order ? 

A. No, sir ; so far as I know. 

Q. In your judgment, the goods that Avere purchased of Snow, 
Barnaby, and Huntoon, by individuals, were needed and suitable for 
the men ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I should say so, for men who were to be subjected 
to all kinds of changes of the weather and exposure, they are needed. 
They felt the need of these articles ; but I did not know that some 
bought skates to take with them down to New Orleans. 

Q Who sold them skates ? 

A. I do not know, sir. 

Q. Have you ever heard ? 

A. I have not, sir. 

Q. Were they sold in camp ? 

A. I do not know, sir. I could not tell. I know nothing about 
it — merely a statement that some of the men had taken skates ? 

Q. Do you know how much Col. Viall's sutlers paid for the privi- 
lege of sutling. 

A. I do not know what these men pay ; I know that Mr. Rath- 
bun paid him $75 per month, and whether there be any evidence to 
go in about it or not, I can't say. Mr. Rathbun's reason for why he 
was discharged, was because he did not pay the Col. a hundred dollars. 

Q. Is this a perquisite of the Colonel, or is it paid for the benefit 
of the regiment ? 

A. For the benefit of the regiment. That goes into the regimen- 
tal fund — always so considered. 

Q. Did you notice the endorsement on that letter? (About Mr. 
Coffin, &c.) 

A. Yes, sir. Well, sir, he told me that, that man should not come 
on to the Island, nor no other man. This was his word. He showed 
me a notice written ; put up by order from head-quarters forbidding 
coming on the Island, and at the same time he was admitting men ; that 
is why I wrote him that letter. You can see why I wrote that letter. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. He said he was trading from a basket ? 

A. I know he sold boots, and if he (Coffin) carried them in a 
basket, it must have been like Esop's basket — very large. I have 



300 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

worked hard for these men, and the}'- have given me more trouble 
than all the other regiments in the field put together. When Co. L 
was paid off, thirty of their checks were stolen in one night. I will 
venture to say that, twenty-five checks were so lost — checks which in 
a reasonable time I shall make them duplicates for. They steal from 
each other. They practice those games which are not practiced in 
other regiments. 

Q. By all your connections with this regiment has there come to 
your knowledge any instance of fraud or swindling practiced upon 
any of the men by any recruiting officer ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not know that there has. 

Q. You say you have heard complaints among the men — do yoii 
recollect any particular person that they have complained of as de- 
frauding them ? 

A. Well, sir, it has been as varied as the men. This one would 
say that he had paid his own transportation. Another would say 
that he enlisted for $300, when, in fact, he enlisted for $200. An- 
other would say that Major Engley sent him off" recruiting and did 
not do right by him. Another would say this thing, and another 
that. They were as varied as the men and their dispositions. 

Q. Did most of these complaints relate to Major Engley ? 

A. Well, sir, very many of them. As to the watches I think 
many of the watches were sold in New York. I think I have heard 
the men say that a recruiting officer there sold them the watches, or 
some one else. 

Q. Did you hear the name of the recruiting officer in New York 
who sold these bogus watches ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you heard any of the men say that any of those watches 
were bought of Major Engley ? 

A. No, sir ; I have heard that they were sold in a room adjoining 
his office. I have heard one or two of these men say so. 

Q. Have you seen this letter of Col. Viall to Mr. Sheffield ? 

A. No, sir, I have not ; I have read this in the paper. [After 
examining it.] 

Q. Have you ever heard Col. Viall speak of that transaction ? 

A. I have heard him say that the men had been defrauded, and 
it was too bad ; but in the latter part of the letter he speaks of bring- 
ing an action against the State. I have never heard anything of that 
kind. 

Q. You have never heard him speak of going into that office and 
stopping the sales of watches, have you ? 

A. No, sir, not in the office ; I heard him say that he had spoken 
to Engley, and that Engley would stop it. It is something I paid 
very little attention to, and did not, of course, expect ever to testify- 
in the matter. 

Q. You have seen Col. Viall frequently since this letter was 
dated, Dec. 27th, 1863 ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I have seen him very often — probably twenty times 
or more. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 301 

Q. He has made no particular complaints to you in regard to this 
matter, has he ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Has he to the Governor ? 

A. Not to my knowledge, nothing more than to say that the men 
had been swindled. 

Q. He has never called particular attention to this thing, which 
he speaks of in that letter ? 

A. No, sir ; until last week, in my office, he stated that he was 
goino; to write a letter — he said he was goino; to show some of 
these parties in regard to these bogus watches. That was last week. 
He stated that he was going to show up Luke Chace. He said he 
was going to whip him again. He called him all sorts of names. I 
said if he was as bad as he said he was, it was not worth while to 
strike so vile a man. But he was determined upon giving him a 
thrashing, he was bent on writing a letter, and going to show him up 
I think that letter appeared in the Press of Saturday or Friday. I 
think that that letter was written since he came up this time. I think 
that is the letter he had reference to. 

Q. Do you recollect whether he said he was going to write or 
send ? 

A. He was going to write a letter. That was his statement. He 
was going to show up these parties. 

Q. Did he mention the parties ? 

A. Yes, sir ; Luke Chace particularly — that seemed uppermost^ 
and the swindling operations generally ; I think he made that more 
prominent. 

TESTIMONY OF LUKE S. CHACE. 

Monday, Feb'y 13th, 1865. 

Question. Have you had anything to do with the recruiting ser- 
vice of the State for the last two 3'ears ? 

Answer. I have had little do with it, writing mostly. 

Q. In what capacity ? 

A. Clerk for J. C. Engley ? 

Q. Were you familiar with the mode of enlisting men into the 
14th H. A. ? 

A. I was familiar with filling up the papers, sir ; that was all I 
had to do. 

Q. How were those men dealt with when they come to the office ? 

A. As a general thing they came in reported their names, and 
ages, which with a general description of the men were taken upon a 
sheet of paper and passed over to me, and I would fill up the enlist- 
ment papers from that, three for each man. 

Q. What was the practice about their signing orders for their pay 
or bounty ? 

A. That I don't know anything about at all. I had nothing to do 
with it. I might sometimes have witnessed papers that were brought to 



302 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

me by the parties to be witnessed. My desk was in one corner of the 
room, and the desk where these matters were being transacted was in 
another corner. I had as much as I could do to fill up enlistment 
papers. 

Q. Do you know whether the orders were read to these men ? 

A. I have heard orders read to these men, but whether in every 
instance they were read I could not say. 

Q. Have you, or have you not, heard a great deal of complaint 
from the men that were made to sign orders, without knowing what 
they were ? 

A. I have never heard a complaint while we were enlisting, till 
after the regiment was full. 

Q. Then you heard such complaints ? 

A. I never heard the men say any thing about it, I only heard the 
rumors, the men seemed to be perfectly satisfied with everything that 
was done. 

Q. Was there a practice of putting men in a close room in this 
building ? 

A. We had a separate room that was assigned to them especially, 
and it was locked sometimes, whenever they became troublesome, - 
running back and forth, we were very busy, and would turn the key 
on them. There was another door through which they could go out, 
unless it was nailed up, they nailed it up themselves. I could not say 
why it was nailed up, and I do not know positively who nailed it up. 

Q. These men were fastened in this room ? How long were 
they ordinarily kept there ? 

A. That might vary. It would depend upon whether we could 
get ready to take them away. We locked them up to prevent their 
running through while we were busy. Sometimes in an urgent case, 
Ave would let one out, and he would come back again. 

Q. Do you know anything about any watches being sold to these 
men in that estaiblishment ? 

A. I know that I sold one of the men a watch. 

Q. Do you know anything about other watches being sold ? 

A. I know that parties said that other watches were sold to the 
men. 

Q. Do you know who owned those watches ? 

A. I do not. 

Q. Were you informed by any one that they owned the watches? 

A. I could not swear that I was ever informed who owned the 
watches. 

Q. You have no knowledge about the ownership of the watches ? 

A. I have understood that a certain party says that he carried it 
on. I understood that it was before the committee that were on this 
busmess the previous session, last spring. Mr. Sheldon, I believe, 
had charge of the business. It was all done in his name, at any rate, 
that is, I understood it was. 

Q. Do you not know that that business was Major Engley's, and 
carried on by Mr. Sheldon ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 303 

A. I do not, sir. 

Q. You were not so informed? 
■ A. Mr. Sheldon acknowledged that the business was his ; said 
that it was his ; claimed that it was his so far as anything that I know. 

Q. Did you keep the books of Major Engley ? 

A. My businesss Avas filling up enlistment papers. I kept no 
books. Mr. Noyes was bookkeeper. 

Q. Did Major Engley carry on business on his own account, or 
was he interested with other persons ? 

A. I could not tell you, sir ; I was hired and paid by him, and 
knew no other party m the business. I received very few instructions 
even from him, and none from any other party except Mr. Noyes. 

Q. Do you know anything about the mode of issuing transpor- 
tation ? 

A. All the transportation I know anything about, I bought and 
paid for with the funds, that I did a good deal of. 

TESTIMONY OF COL. CHARLES E. BAILEY. 

Tuesday Feb. 14, 1865. 

Question. What office if any do you hold under this State ? 

Answer. I am Aid on the staff of Governor Smith. I act as pri- 
vate secretary, but there is no appointment of that kind. 

Q. Under what authority do you hold that office, and what is 
your compensation ? 

A. Under the authority of the Governor. The compensation is 
$1500 per year. 

Q. What are your duties ? 

A. I have to attend to all of the correspondence of the Executive 
Department, particularly the military, and do any other business that 
the Governor orders me to do. 

Q. Have you any knowledge of how the recruiting service in this 
State is carried on, and how it has been carried on from time to time, 
since you have been upon the Governor's staff. If so state how it 
has been conducted from the commencement, what was the bounty, 
who paid it, and who was superintending recruiting ? 

A. As to the bounty, it has been changed so many times, I should 
not be certain to give a correct answer, in regard to what it was a 
particular dates. The bounty at the time the Governor first came 
into office, I think, was $15. Afterwards, a bill was passed making 
it $300 for three years. Then, at the time the enrollment act was 
changed by Congress, making it allowable to place one and two years 
men in the service, the bounty of one and two years men was made 
proportionable to that of three years men. At that time there Avas a 
$10 premium paid for recruiting, under a special act of the Legisla- 
ture ; after that the 14th Regiment came on the field. Authority 
was given by order from the War Department, June 14th, I think, 
for raising the first company, (the authority came by companies,) the 
order Avas issued by the GoA^ernor just subsequent to the receiving of 
the authority. 



304 REPORT or THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. At what time was the order issued for the Third Cavalry ? 

A. That was organized first, as a six months regiment, I think, 
and afterwards the order was changed. 

Q. When was the first order and when the second order? 

A. The first order was the last of June, and the second in July, 
I think. 

Q. Do you remember whether it was before or at the time the 
order came to break up camp ? 

A. It was just before sir. The first order was for a company, 
the next for a battalion and finally for a full regiment (I recur now in 
relation to the 14th Heavy Artillery) of Artillery which was in Sep- 
tember, I think about theStli. 

Q. How many men were then enlisted ? 

A. One battalion had been filled of four companies. They would 
not give authority for a battalion until the 1st company was filled, nor 
for a resiment until the first battalion was filled. 
Q. Under what arrangement? 

A. The first company was enlisted I think chieflj|r from this State, 
by Dr. Wm. H. Helme ; they were enlisted and of course received 
the whole bounty, all of them. The next company we got from out 
of the State, mainly from N. Y., and perhaps other places, I think 
that they received the whole bounty also, except perhaps an advance 
that had been made by the recruiting agent which they got to leave 
with their families, when they came on here, generally of $'25, that 
advance and order, was received from, and was therefore paid to the 
recruiting agent. After that field and been pretty thoroughly gone 
over, the men of course came from farther West and South. An 
arragement was then made, by which the recruits should give an order 
on his bounty for -fSO. This $bO was to cover the expense of transpor- 
tation and subsistence, and any other contingent expenses that might 
be incurred in bringing them on. 

Q. AVas not Maj. Engley paid $25 afterwards to pay the expenses 
of this tjansportation and subsistence ? 

A. There was perhaps a bill made out in that way, to cover certain 
expenses, or head money, but of course the head money was not suf- 
ficient to pay, (witness was interrupted.) 

Q. Was there not a bill of $25 per man ? 

A. I have seen the bill but can not say exactly what it was, I 
think it was not of that amount. 

Q. Resume your history of the regiment ? 

A. Finally the men came from as far west as Ohio, and as far 
south as Kentucky, and even Tennessee ; these of course, the $50 was 
not enough. An arrangement was made by which the agent should 
be allowed to take orders for $100. Finally they came I think from 
Missouri, I understood so. Either $150 or $200, I cannot say posi- 
tively which it was from that State was taken. In some cases I un- 
derstood that contrabands were placed in the regiment, and in those 
instances the men had but $50, it took $250 to get the contraband his 
freedom and to bring him to Rhode Island. But in no case was a re- 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. ' 305 

cruit to be enlisted for the regiment unless he received $50 which 
was at that time the highest bounty that any colored man were re- 
ceiving from other States, generally they did not get as much. That, 
I think, sir, would close up the 1-lth regiment. The next that was 
enlisted was the 3d Cavalry. The enlistment of this i-egiment was - 
going on at the same time with the 14th Heavy Artillery, but the 
Cavalry did not get filled up as soon as the other. The last company 
of the 14th, I think, was about the 4th of April. The bounty to the 
3d Cavalry was the regular <|300 bounty. 

Q. Was the head money $10 ? 

A. I cannot say positively about that, without looking at the 
record. Whatever was the established head money at that period, 
was paid for those recruits. 

Q. What do you mean by the record ? 

A. I refer to the ordei's of the Governor, to the diiferent depart- 
ments, in reference to paying head money. . 

Q. Where are those orders ? 

A. Copies of them are in the Executive Depai'tment. 

Q. Are they recorded in the Adjutant General's ofiice ? 

A. Not all of them, sir. 

Q. Go on, Avith reference to recruiting last fall ? 

A. The next orders were in the autumn of 1864, I think; in that 
autumn the order for premiums was changed ; I believe that was 
under the act allowing a special fund for bounty, and the arrange- 
ment was $20 for one year recruits, $40 for two years recruits, and 
$50 for three years recruits. 

Q. Were vouchers there to be issued by the Provost Marshals? 

A. The Provost Marshals were to give certificates that the men 
were mustered. That system went on for some little time, and, fin- 
ally, it was not found to be doing as well as it should. The premium 
was not suflicient, compared with that paid by other States. The 
Governor then employed certain agents. 

Q. Who were those agents ? 

A. The superintendent of recruiting was Maj. vS. P. Sanford; he 
did not come in as an agent of course. 

Q. Under what arrangement was he employed and paid ? 

A. He was employed as superintendent of recruiting and State 
agent. I think his pay per annum was a Major's pay, about $225 a 
month, I believe. His duties as State agent would be the collecting 
of any accounts with Washington. Of course, if the Governor 
ordered him on there, he would have to attend to that and also to 
keeping things straight. 

Q. Who else ? 

A. The agents were, Col. John N. Francis, Maj. J. C. Engley, 
Col .H. C. Jenclies, Capt. L. T. Starkey, and, at a subsequent date, a 
Mr. Ancreil, I forgot his christian name. He was recruitins; for the 
first army corps on the same basis. I think those are all, sir. 

Q. What were the duties of these agents ? 

A. These agents generally had a corps of recruiting runners 

.39 



306 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

under them, whom they kept in proper working order, and prevented 
them having any competition among themselves, so that they helped 
each other rather than worked against each other. 

Q. What was their compensation ? 

A. The agents, in the first instance, had, I think, $60, $80, and 
$90, finally, the premiums for runners were fixed at $60, $80, and 
$90, and the agent had $80, $90, and $100 ; and at the close of that 
system, the premium for the runner was $160. and for the agent $200. 

Q. That is, the agent had $50 per man ? 

A. Yes, sir ; the agent had $50 per man for managing the busi- 
ness and taking all pecuniary risk, which he had to do in every case. 
The State did not look back of the agent in case of any irregularity 
of the credits, or anything of that kind. The agent then had to 
return the whole money. 

Q. By Mr. Jackson. Did he ever return any ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In what case? 

A. In the case of John Morris Jones. I can't remember the 
runner's name who enlisted him. Maj. Engley was the agent who 
returned the money. It was afterwards returned back again to Maj. 
Engley, as the credit was established. 

Q. What regiment was that ? 

A. I can't say positively, I think it was the 2d Rhode Island. 
That comprised the whole of the orders up to the 26th of January, 
in reference to recruiting. 

Q. Have you been in any way connected with the business of re- 
cruiting in this State, or in any way directly or indirectly received 
any gratuity, emolument or profit from that business ? 

A. To the first part of that question, I should answer, that I had 
no connection, except as my opinion was asked sometimes in regard 
to certain points, and the propriety of doing certain things, I, of 
course, have had knowledge of the system as it has been working, 
but in no other way, and have issued the orders under the direction 
of the Executive. That is part of my duty in connection with carry- 
ing on the correspondence of the Executive Department. To the 
second part of your question, I should answer, decidedly, that I had 
not received any gratuity, emolument or profit from the recruiting- 
service. 

Q. How were these bounties paid to the 14th regiment? What 
was the system of keeping accounts ? Did the Governor issue orders, 
for instance, to the Paymaster General in relation to it, or how were 
they paid ? 

• A. They were paid under orders of the Executive. I mean this 
to refer to the sum that was to be taken from the recruit upon his 
order, the payment to be controlled by the orders of 4;he Executive. 

Q. But there were other orders issued by the Executive ; refer 
to this file and see that there were certain amounts to be paid upon 
orders of the men. There were two classes, one ordered to take so 
much from the bounty, and the other to take so much upon the order 
of the men ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 307 

A. The understanding was, that when a man gives an order in 
each case, he makes an agreement. The enlistment paper is not the 
agreement that I refer to, it is the first agreement or contract of en- 
listment with the recruiting officer, that would not be strictly termed 
an enlistment paper. 

Q. Suppose men contracted with the officer to enlist for $50 
bounty, what would be the mode of paying that bounty ? 

A. The man would be paid the bounty for which he agreed to 
enlist, and the recruiting officer (Major Engley) would receive the 
balance upon proving the agreement to be in accordance with the 
orders of the Governor. 

Q. I want to call your attention to the bounty and head money 
to navy recruits, that had been enlisted since the 1st of September. 
How was that paid ? 

A. Those at Newport were enlisted under one arrangement, 
which was, first, to be |20, $40, and f 50, or $60, $80, and 890, I 
can't say under which arrangement it commenced ; finally they were 
paid $150 premium ; that commenced a little before the 1st of Janu- 
ary. The copy of the order is probably in the Executive Department. 
There was one order issued as to navy recruits, when the bill was 
paid with a certificate of the recruit's enlistment, and approved for a 
certain amount. No order was generally issued as relating to the 
navy recruits. 

Q. Was there any order in relation to army recruits upon that 
subject ? 

A. I think there was. 

Q. How were bounties paid to navy recruits ? 

A. In Newport, they were paid by certificates being issued by the 
Paymaster General for the regular bounty; Col. Smith, the State 
Commissioner, was sent to Newport for that purpose. 

Q. What compensation did Commissioner Smith get for his 
services ? 

A. None, except the regular pay of his office. 

Q. What is his office ? 

A. State and Allotment Commissioner. Then there were cer- 
tain navy recruits enlisted at New Bedford. Those who paid the 
bounty upon regular certificates being filled out in proper form and 
presented to Commissioner Smith who paid it. Upon receiving the 
certificate of the mustering and upon the credit of the man, the pre- 
mium was paid to the man who presented it ; $150 I think was paid 
for the New Bedford recruits; I think there were none enlisted pre- 
vious to that arrangement. At Boston there were certain Naval re- 
cruits enlisted. The arrangement there was that the Boston recruits 
were paid the bounty by agents sent down there for the purpose of 
paying them. The agent was J. W. Hill. He paid out the bounty 
upon receiving a regular and proper certificate. 

Q. Who drew the money from the Quartermaster General's de- 
partment ? 

A. D. J. Peirce. He drew I think $200 premium. 



308 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Did he draw it himself? 

A. Yes, sir ; that is he receipted for it in every case, and if here, 
drew it personally. 

Q. Is there a man by the name of Peck connected with this busi- 
ness ? 

A. I don't recollect any such man. 

Q. Who received these moneys from the Quartermaster General 
and Paymaster General. Were any received and paid directly 
through the Executive Department ? 

A. The moneys that were drawn from the Quartermaster Gen- 
eral's Department for this purpose were returned to the Executive 
Department. 

Q. Who were they drawn by ? 

A. They were draAvn by Senator Hill to the amount of $10,000 
and by Col. Francis to the amount of $10,000 ? 

Q. ' What did they do with it ? 

A. They returned it to the Executive, who returned it to the 
General Treasurer, and had it credited to that account. 

Q. What was the occasion of doing that ? 

A. Because all moneys received have to go to that department. 
The money was drawn from the Quartermaster General's department 
for the simple reason that the Paymaster General could not issue 
bounty until he had a properly vouched certificate. It was placed in 
the hands of this gentleman who goes to Boston, and does not pay it 
until he receives a proper certificate which will draw it from the Pay- 
master General ; on his return here he draws it from the Paymaster 
General and returns it to the Executive, who returns it to the 
General Treasurer. 

Q. Did not an employee of the Executive Office draw a large 
amount of money from the Quartermaster General's Department ? 

A. Well, I don't know what you mean by the term employee. 

Q. I have been informed by the Quartermaster General that there 
was some person who drew a large amount of money from that 
office ? 

A. I think not, sir. I don't remember any ordei's of that kind 
that were issued, except perhaps to myself for salary. It may have 
been that the receipts for the head money were sent to the Depart- 
ment and drawn by this party. Of course those receipts were vouch- 
ers for the Quartermaster General. It may have been that this party 
did not always present himself to the Quartermaster General to draw 
that head money ; Avhen he was here he always drew it himself. When 
he was not, the amount Avas sent to him, on his receipt. In every 
case he receipted to the Quartermaster General for the money re- 
ceived. 

Q. Under what arragement was recruiting carried on for the 15th 
Regular Infantry in this State ? 

A. The last time the officer recruiting for that regiment was sta- 
tioned here it was carried on by his receiving a fixed amount. Lieut. 
W. B. Occleston was the recruiting officer. He received the 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 309 

amount paid to the runner, which he was obhged in every instance to 
pay out to the runner, and Lieut. Occleston being a salaried officer, 
it was not thought proper to pay him any premium for his services. 
Before drawing this premium he was obhged to show receipts that he 
paid it out to the runner. 

Q. Was he put in all respects upon the footing of the runners, 
and not upon the footing of the special recruiting agent. 

A. The first time he presented his bill for four men he was placed 
upon the basis of the agent, it being a misunderstanding, and he hav- 
ing supposed he could draw that amount, and he did I think pay out 
that full amount to the runner; in fact, I have receipts to show that he 
did so. Thus he still acted on the basis of the runner although he re- 
ceived $110; in all other cases he was treated as a runner. 

Q. Does he continue to recruit under the same basis at the pres- 
ent time ? 

A. Since my return from Washington I have not seen any bills. 
I know there was some trouble in relation to a Sergeant he had here, 
who was caught in issuing bogus exemption papers to men coming in 
from the country, and the Governor requested that he should be re- 
moved. 

Q. He was in the service of the United States ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. The Governor had no control over him, had he ? 

A. I believe the local authorities of the State have control in such 
cases. 

Q. Did Lieut. Occleston have any control over the Sergeant, 
other than his being a superior officer ; he had no power to discharge 
him ? 

A. No, sir, but he could have had him returned to his regiment at 
the Fort undoubtedly. The Sergeant was J. W. Nye, I believe. 

Q. Is he a son of Senator Nye of the U. S. Senate ? 

A. I don't know that he is, I never heard it before. The fact of 
his issuing this certificate is beyond denial. It was a certificate claim- 
ing to exempt certain men from liability to the draft. It was signed 
"N. B. Squills." 

Q. Do you think it was intended to be a certificate ? 

A. The fact of this board being established there was reported to 
the Governor by one of the United States Provost Marshals, as being 
a board regularly established and doing a very good business. Capt. 
Chadsey reported it. 

Q. Do you mean to say that the Governor refuses to give Lieut. 
Occleston any head money ? 

A. I do say, that for a certain time he did decline to have any re- 
cruiting done here by that recruiting officer, while the sergeant re- 
mained here. 

Q. What amount of the bounty of the 14th regiment was paid to 
Major Engley. 

A. I am unable to give you the amount, sir. 

Q. Have you the means of information ? 



310 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. That information should come from the Paymaster General's 
department. 

Q. I want to enquire about the vouchers in the Quartermaster 
General's and Paymaster General's departments. Did they have fur- 
ther charges ? 

A. The Paymaster had a bounty certificate. 

Q. They pay nothing but what is upon order of the Governor ? 

A. They pay either upon special or general order of the Gover- 
nor, but still have to take their vouchers. They have the bounty cer- 
tificate or else pay upon the roll where the recruit receiving the boun- 
ty receipts for it. 

Q. If orders are issued, where are those orders and where are 
they preserved ? 

A. I cannot say where the orders are pi'eserved, they have to be 
presented to the Paymaster General. 

Q. Would they be filed in his office or in the Executive Office. 

A. They would not go to the Executive Office. 

Q. Then they would be filed in the office of the Paymaster Gen- 
eral ? 

A. I cannot say, sir, where they would be filed. 

Q. By Mr Jackson. What was J. W. Hill's pay as Paymaster 
General in goins; to Boston. 

A. He was not acting as Paymaster General. He was acting as 
Pay Agent. He has not received any compensation yet, sir. 

TESTIMONY OF JAMES JEFFERSON. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Q. What is your name ? 

A. James JeflPerson. 

Q. Where do you reside ? 

A. In the city of Providence. 

Q. What is your business ? 

A. I am a barber by trade. 

Q. Have you been engaged in the recruiting business in this 
State ? 

A. I recruited for the 14t]i Heavy Artillery ; I did from the com- 
mencement; I believe I have a right to claim the first recruit that Avas 
put into that regiment. 

Q. About what time was that? 

A. It was about the first of August, I believe — somewhere near 
there. 

Q. Early in August ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I do not know as I could give the date. I know 
we had some meetings in July, in which we considered the matter 
among the colored people, and by the time we had made any progress 
it had got into August. 

Q. By whom were you employed in this business? 

A. At first, when I went into it, I cannot say, I was, really, em- 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 311 

ployed bv anybody. That is, I called on the Governor, at the request 
of Dr. Helme, and they were about giving up the idea of raising a 
company, It vv^as only a company we contemplated raising at first. 
I told Dr. Helme that if the Governor would issue an order estab- 
lishmg a company, and open a recruiting office down street, that 
there would be no difficulty in raising a company — the people did not 
believe they were in earnest. Then, without further consideration, 
at the suggestions of Dr. Helme, I went to work to see if I could 
induce men to join without having any consideration. At the first 
effort a few did join, or went and volunteered. I didn't know as 
anybody got any head money. Soon after that. Dr. Helme told me 
there were ^10 a head allowedfor recruits, and I thought I would go 
in with him and do Avhatever we could. 

Q. This first man that you recruited, you got no head money for? 

A. I did not. I do not know as anybody did. It was merely 
some who volunteered. I merely urged and suggested. 

Q. Did Major Engley have anything to do with that ? 

A. Not that I know of — at the time, I did not know that he had 
anything to do with them ; because I had not heard of Major Engley 
at that time, and so I continued on. 

Q. How many were there that you enlisted in that way ? 

A. There was not more than half a dozen enlisted in that way — ■ 
very few consequently after that. 

Q. They were people that resided herein the city? 

A. Yes, sir. Then I went on with Dr. Helme, and recruited 
through the State, and got what men we could, understanding that 
there were flO head money to. be paid. 

Q. The men received their full bounty, did they not? 

A. The men received their full bounty, and the expenses of re- 
cruiting w^as taken out of this head money — what profit there might 
be, there was nothing to divide — afterwards Capt. Ballon came here 
and became acquainted Avith Dr. Helme, and I was employed by them. 

Q. You were employed by them ? Did they pay you by the 
day, or did you share the profits ? 

A. I shared the profits. I had a fair understanding that whatever 
was made — I knew what the expenses were, and whatever we got I 
knew what the profits would be, and it was equally divided, so far as 
I settled. Finally, after running along in that way, I met Major 
Engley in New York city. He was then recruiting there — had some 
men engaged there, and he came to me, and he asked me how I was 
working, and I told him. He said you can make nothing in that 
way. I told him, " no, I cannot make anything." Said he, "I will 
give you a better offer than that, I will give you $1 a man." I 
asked him particularly was this $1 clear of all expense, and he said 
"yes." All the men I could find in and about the State of New 
York, I turned over to him, and when I come to have a settlement I 
found I had to pay expenses out of that $7, in part of New York, 
New Jersey, and New York city. He said the Governor would not 
pay any part of the expenses from New York city to Providence. 



312 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Many of these men cost me as high as $60, and I found I was run- 
ning behind, and after running over my account, I found I was 
running $400 or $500 behind. I told him the State did not want me 
to pay the expenses. 

Q. At this time what contract did you make with the men ? 

A. I gave them three hundred dollars bounty. 

Q. They paid no part of the expenses ? 

A. Not that I am aware ot. 

Q. You took seven dollars out of the head money and paid ex- 
penses ? 

A. Yes, sir ; and the balance I do not know where it went. Maj. 
Engley always paid me the seven dollars. 

Q. And he paid no expenses ? 

A. None at all, sir. I found frequently, men that I had sent, 
would not be passed through. I made inquiries here and they did 
not pass. I did see them sometimes in camp and I asked them 
about it, and it was explained that the Dr. had suspended them for a 
day or two. After being suspended, somebody else had taken them 
up and they had drawn the head money and I would lose it. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Did you know why these men were suspend- 
ed ? 

A. I suppose the Dr. had some doubts — they might be unsound 
for a few days but Avould get sound. I spoke to Major Sanford about 
it and he told me I ought not to be out of pocket. I told him I would 
like to recruit and he told me you can recruit for yourself then. I told 
him, I did not know but what I had rather do it in that way and then I 
would know what I was doing. I went to Major Engley and told 
him, and he did not see that I could exactly recruit for myself, but, 
said, he would make some arrangement that woukl satisfy me better, 
and then I learned that they were charging the men some per centage 
off their bounty which paid expenses. 

Q. These men that you were recruiting ? 

A. Not that I had heard of. Not of these men, I speak of; but 
other parties were recruiting and stating to me what was doing and I 
spoke to Major Engley about it. He said whatever the men 
would go for — if they would go for $275 or for $250, I could take 
them for that. So I believed I could get one or two men for $250, 
while I was recruiting in that way, and of course that would help to 
cut down my losses while I was at work with some I had already re- 
cruited. I asked him then as I had been working for him to allow 
me to have these men to assist me, they being acquainted with the 
country and could induce their friends and he did let me have three. 
I paid theii expenses from here to Albany and Troy, wherever they 
would go and whatever the cost was I paid them so much a man, and 
the balance of the profits I concluded to have myself. Well, just as 
I got the affair in operation, he suggested to me to go to St. Louis, 
and that there was a better field open. I told him that I ought to be 
allowed to remain ; I had got a going but he insisted, I should go to 
St. Louis, and he said, if you go, these men now at work for you 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 313 

shall go with you, and whatever you send here shall be credited to 
to you, and also promised me whatever I should want. He was go- 
ing to start with me and I was to meet him here in the front of this 
building, the recruiting office. I came and waited until it was time, 
within two minutes, when Major Sahford appeared, and Major San- 
ford asked me why I did not go, with him (Helme) ; he said it was 
all the same — Sanford said this. When I got to New York I under- 
stood he was out particularly with Major Engley. I went to St. 
Louis, and me and Dr. Hehne operated there, and while there I got a 
squad of recruits and sent home. When I got to Albany I thought 
I would see how things were there, and they presented me a bill of 
expenses and returned five of the seventeen men who they said were 
returned to Major Engley, or me — I settled partly— I had an order for 
$10, which I had got of Dr. Helme on the Quartermaster. I got that 
order in part payment and came here to Providence, When I came 
to Providence I called for these men. These men he said had turned 
them over to their own credit and he had paid $10 a piece to them for 
them. I told him I had been to all the expense and I thought I ought 
to share the profits. Said he you went off to St. Louis and therefore 
I don't think you ought to have anything. I thought I ought to have 
the profits on all men gained by men whom he knew were employed 
by me. I asked him then "will you not pay that bill ?" Said he "no 
I will not." 

Q. Do you know to whom this amount of money was paid to ? 

A. The head money was to be paid to him, and the $50 was to be 
paid to me, but he would not pay the expenses and the only ground of 
dispute was my right to the men. I believe there was no dispute as 
to what was to be paid. 

Q. Did he pay any thing to these agents of yours at Albany ? 

A. He said he did. They said he did not ; and they say the only 
money received, was the money which I gave and the order. I had 
the letter of one sergeant Schoolmaker ; he gave me a letter from 

, who, he says, was expressly turned over by another man — 

Hogans, in Troy — that I had ordered him to turn them all over to 
him, and when I returned I would settle with him ; of course he 
looked to me for a settlement. 

Q. Did you settle with him ? 

A. With that man, I did. 

Q. And paid all the expenses? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How did you pay these men in Albany. Did you pay them 
by the day ? 

A. I paid them so much a man ? 

Q. How much did you pay them ? 

A. I paid them for the men that they got for $250, the sum of 
$10 each, and paid all the expenses. 

Q. You got fifty dollars, minus their expenses ? 

A. Yes, sir. That is, I did not get it ; but I should have had it. 

Q. Who was Hogans ? 

40 



314 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. He was a man livino; in Troy, who I used to get a man from 
occasionally. I told him when he had a man to turn him over to the 
sergeant Schoolraaker and Sergeant Jones. 

Q. Which he did turn over ? 

A. Which Sergeant Schoolmaker acknowledo-ed that he did re- 
ceive them from him, and wrote a letter to Major Engley to Ahat 
effect. 

Q. They were your men ? 

A. Yes, sir, they were. Engley is the only man I had anything 
to do with that did not come up to the square. I worked with Capt. 
Ballou, and as far as we had any understanding at all, he always set- 
tled what he agreed to, and Dr. Helme did with the exception of a 
little account outstanding, which I have not seen him ahout hecause 
he was away, and I have no fears for that when he comes. I then 
had some little account about some men that we disputed about when 
we went to New York. I finally agreed to settle when we went to Mary- 
land. I went to Maryland expecting to find him there; and by the advice 
of some friends I went to Washington in Virginia. I telegraphed to him. 
I telegraphed to Mr. Magraw in Washington, that if he had any trans- 
portation, I wanted to get some from him. I had two or three re- 
cruits that I sent to him, and he held on Engley's account. These 
men were forwarded on to him. He told me I could take the men 
with the understanding that whatever they would go for would be 
their pay, and that was fifty dollars. I did get one man who consented 
to go for fifty dollars, and none for less than that. There were some 
for two hundred dollars, and one that came for one hundred and 
twenty-five dollars. However, this man came for fifty dollars. I had 
two men at two hundred dollars, and I told them that this bounty was 
to be taken out ; there was a perfect understanding. When I got 
here, he asked about the fifty dollar man, for whom I had sent an or- 
der. He generally took the men and asked them what they had 
agreed to enlist for and they should have it. I was not present when 
this fifty dollar man was asked. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. This man who agreed to go for this sum, did 
he understand the State bounty ? 

A. Yes, sir; he is intelligent, and I think he did ; but if he did 
not, this was not my fiiult. When I got here, he (Engley) said, this 
man has not got sense and was a little foolish, and Major Sanford said 
he would have to have the same bounty that the others did. I said, 
whatever was right, I would do, and I suppose when the settlement 
was made that the man got two hundred dollars. He said, the man 
says he did not agree to enlist for fifty dollars. I stated to him that 
he did, and we did not agree. When I came back, Major Engley 
told me that you would not allow but one hundred dollars to be 
taken out. This man came from AVashington. He did not say any 
more. He said he wanted to see me in a few days, and that was all 
I heard about it. The inference I drew, was that the man did not 
get but fifty dollars ; so when a settlement was made with him on that 
account, after making out expenses, I understood that I had some 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 315 

thirty dollars coming to me, and when he figured it up he brought me 
some eight dollars in debt, charging me three dollars a day for the 
man who forwarded the men, which I thought was pretty sharp. Said 
I, " you know Colonel, that I am about thi'ee hundred dollars short." 
I think I had done as much in the meantime. I said, " I promised 
the Governor when I started that I would stick to it to the end." I 
told him I thought it rather hard, because as I told you he had not 
lost any money with me. I finally wrought upon his feelings and he 
finally gave me ten dollars. He asked me to give him a receipt and I 
told him I would give him a receipt in full for work in Washington, 
with the understanding that I had not settled for the work in Troy. 
He said, he told me he would not pay any more. 

Q. He brought you in his debt ? 

A. He brought me in debt ; I thought he owed me thirty dollars, 
and he did owe me thirty dollars. I gave him a receipt for ten dollars. 
He made out the receipt himself for me to sign. I saw it covered all 
and told him that if he made it out for recruits in Washington, I 
would sign it. 

Q. How many men have you procured in all ? 

A. I can hardly tell now. I might come very near it, if I looked 
over my accounts. But the manner in which they were recruited it 
would be hard for me to tell. For instance, I sent on a man recruit- 
ing for Dr. Helme. Wherever I was recruiting that would be put 
down to Captain Ballou here. 

Q. Sanford put it down to the credit of Captain Ballou and Dr. 
Helme, and he paid ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Helme, he paid ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How much did the men procured by you pay ? 

A. Nothing, except in the cases I speak of. In New York three 
men fifty dollars, and those that I got on from Washington. 

Q. Did you get any men from St. Louis ? 

A. Yes, sir ; when I was with Dr. Helme. 

Q. How much did they deduct ? 

A. Fifty dollars. It cost twenty-one dollars to bring them as far 
as New York, to say nothing about the expenses on here. 

Q. Did these men recruited by you understand what the State 
bounty was ? 

A. Yes, sir; I made it a point in St. Louis and Ohio and 
wherever I got men I made it a point to state to them that we were 
allowed by the State but ten dollars, and that ten dollars head money 
was to cover expenses, and this deduction was to cover all expenses 
and pay me. They understood it and voluntarily assented to it. 

Q. Have you known any instances of any man in the 14th Regi- 
ment who has been deceived in regard to the amount of the bounty 
that the State pays ? 

A. I cannot say, sir, that I know of any case. 

Q. Have you sold to these men any watches or other property ? 



316 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. No, sir ; I have never sold anything. 

Q. Have you known of any persons trading with them and taking 
orders ? 

A. I do not know, myself, of any case of that kind, 

Q. Have you any personal knowledge of fraud, or of swindling, 
practiced upon the men in the 14th Regiment ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. All you complain of is the treatment of Major Engley, who 
has not performed the contract he made with you ? 

A. I do not think he has, in regard to that case, in New York 
particularly. In fact, I did not come here to complain of that. It is 
merely the facts I state which are drawn out— I don't come to make 
complaints. I was a sufferer, and I supposed there was no redress, 
and I remain so. 

Q. In fact, you consider that Major Engley has not performed 
the contract he made with you ? 

A. Especially in regard to that case in New York. 

Q. Have you any personal knowledge of other men treated in 
that way ? 

A. Several colored men told me that they had been. 

Q. Do you know of any men who have refused to work at this 
business, on account of the treatment of Major Engley towards them? 

A. Yes, sir ; I saw a man working at the west ; I don't know 
what to call his name — that big man in New York — Delaney. They 
told him they wanted him to stop, and he said Engley would not 
deal fair after that. He said very hard words about him — said lie 
was a swindler, and asked him to turn my men over to Massachusetts 
or to Connecticut ; I told him it would not do. I told him that I 
had promised Governor Smith to do all I covdd to fill that regiment, 
and, beside, I had some State pride of my own. I had the Mayor of 
Albany send for me about the matter, and the man where I was 
boarding told me I was a fool, and he wanted to find out the residence 
of the men, and told me I should have one hundred dollars for all the 
men I could get. 

Q. How much money would Major Engley have received for the 
men furnished by you ? 

A. I could not tell how much. 

Q. Can you make an estimate, and come within the truth ? 

A. I don't think I can. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Is there any way in which you can tell ? 

A. Perhaps I could if I looked over my books. 

Q. I would like to have you ascertain and tell us ; you can take 
time for it ; also, I would like to have you state how much money he 
paid on account of those men ? 

A. I have not kept any regular accounts. I was more interested 
in getting recruits than anything else* That is the reason why I 
have been so loose about money matters. Some times what recruits 
I would get, I did not keep a particular account of. I might look 
and find all the men I had recruited ; but I might not be able to fix 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 317 

it whether they were turned over to Ballou, or to Dr. Helme, or to 
Major Engley. 

Q. By Mr. Blake, How was this transportation from New York 
paid — the recruiting of troops in New York — do you understand how 
that was paid ? 

A. I understand that the State paid the expenses from New York 
here. 

Q. The transportation from New York to Providence you did not 
pay ? ^ 

A. No, sir ; I used to do this — I was so much out. Sometimes 
we sent recruits on that would not pass. He said so, that he would 
have to send all recruits back that did not pass ; so that if recruits 
•were sent here that did not pass, whoever sent them would have to 
pay the expenses back. (To Mr. Blake.) All that I ever sent I 
had to pay out of my own pocket. There was one instance — a Mr. 
Hamilton, editor of the Anglo African, I got him to interest himself 
in his paper. I paid him out of the $7 I got for the men, .f4, — no, 
at that time I got but $5 — it was $5 or $6-^no, I paid him ^-i for 
every man he could get, and while I was gone up to Albany, or some- 
where, he got six men and sent them on to Providence. That was 
to Dr. Helme's account. They were not to Major Engley ; but, 
however, these men came on, and it seems as if there did not but 
one out of the six pass. Well, then, I was working through Major 
Engley at that time, but through a mistake they were forwarded to 
Dr. Helme. When I learned that, I said these men were to go to 
Major Engley, and when he learned that, he was willing to turn them 
over, so this expense was made, and Major Engley would not receive 
them because they were sent to Dr. Helme. Dr. Helme was willing 
to allow the $10. I paid Mr. Hamilton his $4 each. I had had to 
feed them. Hamilton had been paid, and the whole amount was 141 
for expenses, and out of this f 41, I received ilO. 

Q4 By Mr. Blake. Then, you were picking up recruits for Eng- 

A. Yes, sir, and I told him he ought to pay transportation for these 
men^ one way or the other. I did not think it was fair to throw it all 
upon me, but he said Dr. Helme had taken them, and he made other 
excuses. The way he reasoned, was, when I sent my dispatch, he 
thought it was not fair and would not receive them. I told him the 
Doctor would not have any charge against him, because I felt that he 
had acted as I would have acted after receiving the despatch. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. You were not furnished with transportation ? 

A. Sometimes I had a ticket presented to me ; when I didn't, I 
had to pay my own way. 



318 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Interrogatories from the Committee to Crovernor Smith. 

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, March 1st, 1865. j 
Hon. Wni. P. Sheffield, Chairman, ^c. House of Sepresentatives, Providence, R. I. 

Sir : — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this 
date, and, in compliance with the request of the Committee therein expressed, I en- 
close herewith my replies to the questions asked. 

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

JAMES Y. SMITH, 

Governor of Rhode Island 

Question No. 1. Under what law or authority did you create the 
office of Private Secretary and Superintendent of Recruiting, and fix 
their pay ? And from what fund and by what authority did you or- 
der them to be paid ? And under what law or authority were their 
duties defined ? 

Answer. I created neither of the offices of Private Secretary or 
Superintendent of Recruiting. Finding that the offices of Private 
Secretary and State Agent were lecognized as existing, and were so 
paid for by my predecessor in office, I continued them. Upon the 
written request and earnest recommendation of my predecessor to re- 
tain the State Agent. I did so, entrusting to him the duties of Su- 
perintendent of Recruiting, which he had heretofore exercised under 
the former State Administration. I found these officers indispensible 
to my aid. In connection with this question please see papers an- 
nexed, marked A, B, C, D, and E. 

(Copy. A.) 

Washington, D. C, May 20th, 1863. 
Hon. James Y. Smith, Governor elect, ^r. 

My Dear Sir : Maj. S. P. Sanford has succeeded in getting from the Government 
five to ten thousand muskets and their equipments for your re-organized militia. Our 
experience in obtaining favors of the Deparment, is to keep all such to ourselves, lest 
other States make similar claims, and tlius, in future, cut off Rhode Island applica- 
tions. May I begj'ou to so instruct the different State officers. 

Major Sanford's indefatigable efforts has succeeded in this, as he has in almost every 
other application which the State has succeeded in obtaining of the Department. I 
commend him to your consideration, as one indispensable. 
I am, respectfullv, &c.. 
(Signed) " WM. SPRAGUE. 

A true copy. 

Charles E. Bailey, Col. and A. D. C. 



(Copy. B.) 

"Washington, July 18th, 1862. 
Sir : I respectfully request, for the benefit of the military service, that Major S. 
P. Sanford be directed to report to the Adjutant General of Rhode Island until further 
orders, for duty connected with recruiting. 

Major Sanford is a field officer, First Regiment, Rhode Island Light Artillery. 
He has been acting imder the orders of the Colonfel in this capacity. The new 
order requires for his continuance in this service ; special orders from the War De- 
partment. The field officers of voluntect regiments Light Artillery, not beine used 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 319 

in the field to advantage, Major Sanford has, in consequence performed valuable ser- 
vice to the Government, and the State authorities requires his assistance, which, 
being of no detriment to the service in the field, and saves expense. 
Will you please cause the necessary orders to be issued to him in Providence. 
Very respectfully, 
(Signed) WM. SPEAGUE. 

Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War. 
Official copy, 

(Signed) Thomas M. Vincent, Assistant Adjutant General, 

Official copy, 

Charles E. Bailey, Col. and A. D. C. 

[Copy. C] 

Providence, Sept. 22d, 1863. 
Sir : On the 21st of July, 1862, at my request. Major S. P. Sanford. 1st R. I. L. 
Artillery, was detailed to report to the Governor of this State for duty in raisiug a 
new quota, which service was to be performed in addition to his duty as a recruiting 
officer for his own regiment- 
In the discharge of his duty up to the present time, Major Sanford has recruited 
more men for his own and other regiments, than all other recruiting officers in the 
State detailed from the army. 

Major Sanford is now co-operating with the State authorities, having been entrusted 
by my successor in office with the duty of raising the negro regiment in this city, 
which now numbers between six and seven hundred men, and owes its success to the 
activity and energy of Major Sanford. 

I hope you will not permit any change to be made in these arrangements, as, in my 
opinion, any such change would be highly detrimental to the service. 

I am led to make this suggestion, because his superior regimental officers (two of 
whom are now in this State) appear to be dissatisfied with his duties in connection 
with the colored regiment, and I earnestly desire that, at this juncture, you should 
fully understand the case. 

Very respectfully, your obt. servt., 
(Signed) WM. SPRAGUE. 

To Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War, Washington, D. C. 

War Department, Washington, D. C, Sept. 25th, 1863. 
A true copy. 

Official copy, 

Charles E. Bailey, Col. and A. D. C, 

(Copy. D.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c, 

Adjutant General's Office, \ 
Providence, Dec. 7th, 1861. ) 
Special order. No. 137. 

You having been appointed 2d Major, 1st Regt. R. I. L. Artillery, you will imme- 
diately take charge of the recruiting for the Batteries now forming, and those also in 
the field, and will report progress directly to the Commander-in-Chief every morning, 
until further orders. 

By order of the Commander-in-Chief. 
(Signed) AUG'S HOPPIN, 

Assistant Adjt. Gen. 
Major S. P. Sanford, Is Regt. R. I. L, Artillery, Providence. 
Official copy, 

Charles E. Bailey, Col. and A. D. C. • 

(Copy. E.) 

Adjutant General's Office, I 

Washington, D. C, July 20th, 1862. ) 
Major S. P. Sanford, 1st Regt. R. I. Artillery, Providence, R. I. 

Sir : At the request of His Excellency, the Governor of Rhode Island, you will 
please report to him for special service, in recruiting the new quota of volunteers from 
the said State. 



320 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

This official service will be in addition to your present duties as recruiting officer. 

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant. 
By Command, (Signed) THOMAS M, VINCENT, 

Assistant Adjt. Gen. 
A true copy, 

Charles E. Bailey, Col. and A, D. C. 

Question No. 2. Under what law or authority were created the 
offices of special recruiting agents, which should have priority or pre- 
ference in authority or compensation over other persons employed in 
the recruiting service ? And under what law or authority was any 
recruiting officer before the present session of the General Assembly 
paid for obtaining recruits, a greater sum than ten dollars head money 
and the necessary transportation and subsistence of the recruits ? 

Answer. See acts of the General Assembly, passed February 11th 
and 12th, 1864. Also Resolution of the General Assembly, passed 
special session August, 1862. No persons employed in recruiting had 
priority or preference in authority or compensation over others em- 
ployed. Persons employed,, did have an advantage over those engaged 
in the business of recruiting as a business,, who were not deemed wor- 
thy of appointments on account of irresponsibility. The action of 
neighboring States obliging me to make constant changes of the sys- 
tem of recruiting in order to compete successfully in obtaining men. 

Question No. 3. Did you early in September, 1863, appoint and 
commission J. C. Engley, a major in the 14th regiment of H. A. ? 
And if so, while he was in commission did you authorize any head 
money or compensation to be paid to him for enlisting recruits, and if 
so, how much m the aggregate ? 

Answer. I did commission J. C. Engley as major in the 14th 
regiment R. I. H. A. At the commencement of recruiting this regi- 
ment, I allowed him to draw ten dollars head money. I afterwards 
allowed thirty -five dollars per man additional, as compensation to aid 
him in causing men to be brought from distant points. 

[F.] 
(Copy of order to Paymaster General.) 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, |^ 

Providence, Marcli 21st, 1864. J 
Col. John N. Francis, Paymaster General. 

Colonel : His Excellency directs that you pay to Major J. C. Engley, for such 
recruits as may be enlisted by him for the 14th R. I. H. A., whatever balance of $300 
there may be after allowing the amount for which the said recruits agree to enlist for, 
to their credit on your books. 

,Very respectfully, your obt. servt., 
(Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY, 

Col. and A. D. C. 
Official copy, 

Charles E. Bailet, Col. and A. D. C. 

Question No. 4. Did you issue an order on or about the 24th of 
March, 1864, to the Paymaster General, directing him to pay to J. 
C. Engley the difference between the bounty for which the recruits 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 321 

for the 14th regiment contracted to enhst and $300, and to pay to him 
the balance of the bounties of the recruits to their credit upon the 
books of the Paymaster ? And if so, upon what authority or law did 
you issue that order and for Avhat service was it to pay ? 

Answer. I issued an order on the 21st March, 1864, to the Pay- 
master General, a copy of which is annexed, marked F. This order 
was designed to cover a few specified cases, and had no reference to 
men that had been registered as enlisted men by the Paymaster prior 
to the date of the order. 

Question No. 5. Did you issue an order to the Paymaster Gene- 
ral to pay J. C. Engley $30,625 for transportation, subsistence and 
expenses of the men enlisted by him ? If so, will you name the ac- 
count upon which this order was made ? And state the contract un- 
der which the money was paid ? 

Answer. I approved a bill and ordered it paid for $30,625 for en- 
listing 875 men for the 14th regiment, including expenses, transpor- 
tation, subsistence, &c., by virtue of the authority conferred by the 
acts of the General Assembly, of February 11th and 12th, 1864. 

Question No. 6. Did you issue an order either verbal or written 
to the Paymaster General to pay J. C. Engley $11,011 for 102 men 
(deserters and discharged) and if so upon what authority was this 
order issued or the payment made ? 

Answer. The men referred to were I presume paid for under or- 
ders issued previously, or from time to time to the Paymaster General. 
They embrace men enlisted from the commencement to the comple- 
tion of the regiment. Most of these men were suspended by Captain 
Silvey, U. S. Mustering Officer, whose caprice and refusal to muster 
men that had passed the examining board and Surgeon often times al- 
lowed men to remain in camp two or three months. In many instances 
men suspended from one company would be accepted in another. 
Men deserted oftentimes after the first suspension and owing to this 
fact escaped arrest ; they were probably enlisted and clothed and will 
be found upon the record at the Quartermaster General's office. 

Question No. 7. Was an order issued by you to pay to Engley 
any amount of head money for recruits under date of October 24, 
1864, and if so, upon what authority was that order issued and for 
what service ? 

Answer. I issued an order to pay J. C. Engley a sum of head 
money for enlisted recruits October 22, 1864, a copy of which is an- 
nexed, marked G. The authority upon which this order was issued 
was that of the War Department of the General Government for re- 
cruiting services. 

[Copy. G.] 
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, &c. 

Executive Department, ) 

Providence, Oct. 22d, 1864. J 
Brig. Gen. D. C. Remington, Q. M. Gen., Rhode Island. 

General : I am instructed by His Excellency, Gov. Smith, to request you to pay 
Major J. C. Engley twenty-six hundred and forty-four dollars, ($2644,) the same be- 

41 



322 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

ing the $2 premium allowed by Government on 1322 itien, enlisted by him for the 
14th Regt. R. I. H. A. 

I am, General, very respectfully yours, 
( Signed) CHARLES E. BAILEY. 

Col.andA. D. C. 
Official copy, 

Charles E. Bailey, Gol. and A. D. C. 

TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN GORDON. 

» [Examined by the Chairman.] 

Question. What is your rank ? 

Answer. I am Captain in the 3d Rhode Island Cavahy. 

Q. You are now in the regiment ? 

A. I command Company E. 

Q. How long have you been connected with this regiment ? 

A. Since the 1st of October. 

Q. Is this the first Rhode Island regiment you have had any con- 
nection with ? 

A. It is. 

Q. Have you any knowledge whatever, in regard to any men that 
have been practicing fraud upon recruits — by recruiting officers. 

A. I have, sir. I have here a written statement of my first 
Lieutenant. 

Q. You state the facts that you know of your own knowledge ? 

A. On the 4th of January a man by the name of Martin Kit- 
tredge came into camp, in charge of a Sergeant of transportation, and 
brought down a letter addressed to Lieut. Thomas ; on the back of the 
letter was an endorsement : — if this man is received into camp pay 
him the inclosed ; if not, k^p the money until I come down. 

Signed, ' L. T. STARKEY. 

Lieutenant Thomas opened the letter in my presence. The letter 
contained ten dollars. Some short time afterwards the Paymaster 
General came down to pay the men fifty dollars bounty, on whatever 
was due them. The State bounty amounted to fifty dollars each man. 
In some instances $65. Some received ten dollars. This man was 
charged twenty-five dollars on the pay roll, and the man declared he 
had had but ten dollars, and that was the ten dollars that Lieutenant 
Thomas had paid him. I questioned the man about the amount, and^ 
he said he had only received ten dollars. That Captain Starkey 
when the ten dollars was first paid, promised twenty-five dollars, 
and had only sent in the letter ten dollars. I investigated 
the case ; went up to the Paymaster General's office and said 
he had paid twenty-five dollars to Captain Starkey, and he re- 
ported to him that the man had given an order for fifteen dollars. 
I questioned the man about it, and he stated he had only been in 
America a short time. He came direct to Providence, and was re- 
cruited. He knew no one, and was only here two days. He did not 
give any order, for there was no one to give it to. I can't make it 
appear feasible that Capt. Starkey should write, that it should be paid 
to the man, unless he was received into camp, and yet to pay fifteen 
dollars to some other man, and the Paymaster General pay him. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 323 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Do you mean to say that he paid fifteen 
dollars before ? 

A. The ten dollars was to be paid. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. And the fifteen dollars was paid before ? 

A. That I cannot say. 

Q. Did you see the order ? 

A. I have not. I did not know as there was any order in ex- 
istence. 

Q. Did not the Paymaster have it ? 

A. No, he had not got it. 

Q. He had it, you understand. You said there was an order 
from some man ? 

A. That, Capt. Starkey stated to the Paymaster, that some man 
held this order, and Captain Starkey paid it — had paid the man, and 
still the man had not got the order. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. That was the question ? The fifteen dol- 
lars was paid ; he paid it to some party ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Although he could not trust the ten dollars until he came into 
camp ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did Captain Starkey give the name of the person he paid it to ? 

A. I have not seen Captain Starkey. It did not appear at the 
Paymaster's. It only appeared there that he had paid twenty-five 
dollars. It did not appear that the Captain had paid it; it only ap- 
peared that it was paid. 

Q. On the Paymaster's books ? 

A. Yes, sir, on that man's bounty. 

Q. Where is Captain Starkey ? 

A. On the bridge, here. 

Q. Is he in the recruiting business? 

A. He is in the recruiting business. 

Q. Is he connected with the regiment? 

A. I believe he holds a commission as captain. 

Q. Has he been mustered in ? 

A. He has not. 

Q. Do you know the name of this man ? 

A Martin Kittredge. The man declared he had only been two 
days in Providence. 

Q. Where is the man now ? 

A. In camp, mustered in to my company. There was a great 
manyi^ses came up at the time; but most of them the Paymaster 
settle... He said there were errors. In three other cases the Pay- 
master handed up $25. He handed back the money and I paid the 
man. He said it was a mistake. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Was it held by some recruiting officer? 

A. Yes, sir ; both of them. 

Q. Was there any account of this ? 

A. Two were Capt. Starkey's. 



324 KEPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Is there any other case that you have any knowledge of? 

A. Yes, sir ; about eight other men — either seven or eight men 
all enlisted by Capt. Starkey, whom he had detailed on recruiting. 
Those men came into camp and made a declaration. Three of them 

declared before that Capt. Starkey charged them three dollars 

for getting fifteen dollars increase, by the Governor's order. 

Q. Explain the fifteen dollars increase ? 

A. When the regiment first began to be formed, the first install- 
ment was $10. When they came into camp they each received -$10, 
and consequently, when it was increased to §^25, ihey all had to re- 
ceive $15. They had only to go to the Paymaster's oflSce and get it. 
Capt. Starkey represented that they could not get it without his 
assistance, and they all agreed to give him $3 each for getting it. 

Q. What are the names of these men ? 

A. Battelle, Rhodes, Cole and Sunderland — four men. 

Q. Can you give the names of the others ? 

A. I cannot give the others. 

Q. Did these men give Capt. Starkey an order ? 

A. They gave him the order, and he went to the Paymaster's 
office and got it cashed, and he handed them the money, deducting 
$3 each. 

Q. Did they authorize him to go to the Paymaster's and get the 
bounties ? 

A. I don't know ; I presume that it was only by sending an order 
for their bounties, that he could get it. I don't know how it was 
done. He had nothing to do but to walk across the street and draw 
the money. I have drawn the money for fifty or sixty men. 

Q. You have the names of the four men ; are they in your com- 

pany? 

A. They are in this battalion, in company F — Captain Scott's 
company. 

Q. Have you heard Captain Starkey say anything about these 
cases ? 

A. I have not had any conversation with him. 

Q. You have heard only the statements of the men ? 

A. That's all. 

Q. Are there any others that you know of? 

A. Yes, sir ; I was in the office some Aveeks smce, in the office 
of Mr. Searle, and a man came in and made a statement that while 
Major Burt was recruiting, there was a man who had lost the use of 
one of his eyes. A man by the name of Blanding took the man who 
had lost an eye — I don't know which eye. He took him before. Maj. 
Burt, and Mr. Blanding made an arrangement Avith the man, trat on 
account of the loss of his eye, if he got him into the serA'ice, he AA^as 
to be paid $200, and that Major Burt AA'as to receive a per centage, I 
believe, of at least $50. 

Q. Did they get him in ? 

A. They got him in ; whether he has gone or not I do not know. 

Q. Do you know whether he was mustered in or not ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 326 

A. I do not. 

Q. You don't know whether he drew the bounty ? 

A. I do not. 

Q. Do you mean to say that the man was to pay $200 for being 
got into the service ? 

A. For being got into the service ? that was the arrangement. 
I suppose they represented to him that he was incompetent to perform 
service. That is not the case ; a man that has lost his left eye, that 
does not render him incompetent. 

Q. Had he been rejected by the examining surgeon ? 

A. I do not know anything about it. 

Q. To whom was the |200 to be paid ? 

A. To Blanding. 

Q. $50 was to go to Major Burt? 

A. To Major Burt. 

Q. This was for the Third Cavalry? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Was not that the same case that was of- 
fered as a substitute ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know who examined him ? 

A. I believe Dr. Gardiner examined him ; I do not know. 

Q. You understand that this money was paid by him ; you stated 
it was paid ? 

A. No, sir ; I never lieard that. I don't know the one-eyed 
man's name. I have heard it, but don't remember. 

Q. Is there any other case, Captain, that has come to your 
knowledge ? 

A. No, sir ; I think not. 

TESTIMONY OF LIEUT. THOMAS. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Question. What is your name ? 

Ans^ver. Amos G. Thomas. 

Q. You hold a commission in the 3d cavalry ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How long have you been in the regiment. 

^. I commenced recruiting with the regiment on the last of Sep- 
tember to the 1st of November, — recruiting for the regiment. 

Q. You have been employed in that business ever since ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You have been mustered in and are now in the exercise of a 
Lieutenant's command. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know of any frauds that have been practiced upon re- 
cruits. 

A. I do not. 

Q. Have you had occasion to know any thing about any regiment 
except the one you are connected with ? 



326 REPORT OF FINAKCE COMMITTEE 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you heard any complaints among the men in your regi- 
ment of being defrauded. 

A. I have heard complaints of that kind. I had one complaint 
that was brought to my notice. I was then at that time in charge of 
the nucleus of a company, now mustered in. I was in camp in com- 
mand of this nucleus and received a letter from Capt. Starkey for Mar- 
tin Kittredge enclosing ten dollars to be kept until Martin Kittredge 
comes into camp. I kept it until he was mustered in and was received. 
I did not know as he would be received by the mustering officer. I 
kept it and then tendered the money in the presence of witnesses. 
Capt. Gordon aud Assistant Surgeon Wightman — not now in camp, 
and one or two others. Why, said he, I expected twenty-five dollars. 
Here is only ten dollars. I also got no note inside, and I got Capt. 
Gorton to witness that fact upon the envelope, and I have that still in 
my possession. If I had known the nature of this board, I should 
have produced the envelope. I have it amongst my papers in camp. 
I gave the man ten dollars in the presence of the officers. He stated 
that he was to have twenty-five dollars. I told him I knew nothing 
about that. The man who sent him down and enlisted him drawed 
this money and he might look to him, fifteen dollars was then due him. 

Q. Do you know how Captain Starkey accounts for the difference ? 

A. I understand he gave the Captain an order for $15 to pay the 
Captain. The Captain has that order. I have not seen the Captain, 
but he now holds the order, so he tells me. 

Q. Is that the only case you have had occasion to know about? 

A. This is all the case I know anything about directly — where it 
wag brought to my notice. There were some other cases that Cap- 
tain Gordon brought to my notice — all hearsay. 

Q. You know nothing more than what he has stated ? 

A. Nothing more. 

Q. You don't know of your own knowledge whether this trans- 
action between Captain Starkey and Kittredge was an open transac- 
tion or not ? 

A. I do know, sir. 

Q. You only know the man's statement and Capt. Starkey's state- 
ment ? 

A. Yes, sir, that's all. 

TESTIMONY OF JOHN B. PEARCE. 

[Examined by Chairman.] 
Question. You are. in the 14th regiment? 
Answer. Yes, sir. 
Q. Acting as Quartermaster? 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How long have you been in that regiment ? 
A. Since the 1st of October. 

Q. Have you had anything to do with recruiting for that regiment? 
A. No, sir. I have recruited two — David Howard, and another 
man by the name of Nokey. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 327 

Q. You recruited David Howard ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you taken the head money, as they call it ? 

A. No, sir ; I have not. 

Q. What did you have to do with his case ? What .are the facts ? 

A. Well, sir, some time in November, David came to me recom- 
mended very highly by Mr. Larned and by a letter from Col. Pitman. 
He was personally recommended by Mr. Larned as being a good 
man to have in the Quartermaster's department. I saw David's wri- 
ting ; he wrote me a letter soliciting the position. He wanted to be 
Quartermaster's sergeant, and that had been promised to another 
man, and he could not have it. I told him I would give him a posi- 
tion as clerk for the Quartermaster, where he would not have much to 
do but to write. He took a week to consider, and finally made up 
his mind that he would not enlist. It looked as though the regiment 
would be on Dutch Island all winter. So it passed over, and I got 
a Quartermaster's sergeant and clerk, and about all my assistants. A 
few days ago, David came and said to me, he had made up his mind 
to enlist, and he- wanted to know if I could give him a position. I 
told him, I could not give him the position I had offered him before ; 
but I thought I could find him a position that would suit him. I 
wanted to go down to the Island, and I knew the adjutant, and told 
him I knew of a good man to take charge of his department, and he 
consented to do so. I talked with the Colonel about it, and he gave 
his consent, knowing Mr. Howard ; and I don't know Avhat day, but 
a week or ten days after, I came and told David we would enlist him. 
Knowing it to be the custom for all outside parties who were picked 
up, I would get some one else to do it ; and sometimes I did not want 
to enlist myself for fear I should interfere with the regular officer, and 
I told David I would see Engley, or go into Engley's office and tell 
him I should get a recruit. I happened in, and he said, " all right, 
send him over." " I wish," said I, " to get the $10." About the 
time he was going over, we met this man West, somewhere near the 
Quartermaster General's office. I had seen him up to camp Smith, 
and I knew he had been in the habit of making out enlistment 
papers, and had been down with the men to get them clothed, and 
took them up to camp, although I never knew how he got his pay. 
I asked him if he would not take him over to Engley's office and 
have him enlisted. I told him I should expect the head money, and 
and they went off together. I supposed the papers were made out, 
and something like a couple of hours afterwards I met West, and he 
says, " your man did not pass." I was very much surprised, for he 
was a healthy looking man, and smart, and I did not see how it could 
be. It was some little trouble. He said, " you can say to Dr. Gar- 
diner that if he is not very bad, he is going on light duty, and he had 
better pass him if he could." The next news I heard, I got a letter 
from David, and he said he had not passed the doctor ; but through 
my friend Dr. West, by paying $20, he could get passed ; and went 
on to state that he was being swindled, and I thought so myself. I 



328 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

thought if a man could pass by paying $20, he certainly could pass 
without paying $20. I showed the letter to the Colonel. I thought, 
perhaps, he would get up before David had taken any further steps. 
He would take him before Capt. Silvey, and see Avhether he could 
retain the $20. When I came up he had enlisted, been clothed, and 
mustered into the service. I went out of town on Saturday, and the 
Colonel then said he would attend to that part of the business, and 
see that he was not defrauded of his twenty dollars. He would see 
that he had his full bounty. This morning I heard that he had some 
little altercation about it in the street. 

Q. Have you seen West to-day ? 

A. I have not seen him since the day I talked with him, and the 
doctor had not passed Howard. He is a man I never spoke with 
more than two or three times. 

Q. You did not say anything about this case to-day ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you know whether Engley employs him or not ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not. This recruiting is a part of the business 
that I have not had anything to do with ; I have not paid any atten- 
tion to it. I have heard a great many stories, but know nothing 
about them personall}'. I have heard complaints from the men. 
They would hardly know — when a man goes to receive his bounty, 
and expects $15, and, perhaps, gets twenty-five dollars — how they 
made it out. Major Engley has advanced him $25 and sent him re- 
cruiting, and in the room of $300, he ought to have $500 or $600. 
He says recruiting, if it paid, should pay $25 or $30. I bring in 
eight, ten, or twenty men, and they agree to give me $10 a head. 
These men go in, and finally, exhaust the field of labor and get no 
more, and the man is sent down to the Island. When he goes to 
receive his pay, he gets no head money for the men he enlisted, and, 
on many, had the expenses charged to him. 

Q. Do you know of your own personal knowledge of any instance 
where a man has been defrauded or swindled in any part of his bounty? 

A. No, sir ; not to my knowledge, no ; mere heresay from the 
men. I know David's case and it looks as if it were a perfect swin- 
dle, but I don't know that that has been done. 

Q. Is this a pretty general complaint in the regiment ? 

A. Well, there is quite a lot of them, quite a number of them. 

Q. They think they have been swindled by reci'uiting agents ? 

A. Yes, sir. I heard one man say that he had but twenty-five 
dollars of his whole bounty left, and he would like to see Major Eng- 
ley and make him a present of that. 

Q. Have you known of any parties selling watches to these men ? 

A. I only know of one — yes I do of two circumstances. Some 
time perhaps six weeks ago I bought a Avatch of a man by the name 
of Brown who sold caps up to the camp and gave him twenty-five 
dollars. I thought it was a gold watch when I bought it but it proved 
not to be, and one of the recruits offered me forty dollars and insisted 
on buying it at forty dollars I told him I Avould not sell it to him. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 329 

I did not tell him I thought it was not worth forty dollars. I took 
the watch down to the Island and traded it with one of the Lieutenants, 
— (he knew the watch before I had it,) for a coat. I had a coat of infe- 
rior sort which did not fit, and I said I will give you my watch and 
coat and five dollars for it. The next thing I knew, he had sold the 
watch to the man who wanted to buy it of me, for forty dollars. The 
officer's name was Dyer. The other case was a man by the name of 
Harrington. He sold a young man a watch — my clerk — and he 
gave him an order on his bounty for the watch and I witnessed the 
signature to the order. That watch I should suppose was worth 
the money he agreed to pay for it. I forget the price. It was some- 
where about thirty dollars. I have seen men who have had watches 
that they paid twenty dollars for, and thirty dollars, that I would not 
give three for. 

Q. Did they know where they were purchased ? 

A. They bought them of the recruiting agents. 

Q. Do you know whether they bought them at Engley's office or 
not? 

A. No sir ; I do not know. 

Q. Do you recollect the names of the men who had these value- 
less watches ? 

A. No, sir, I never knew the names of any of the men who have 
made complaint of being swindled. There is one man I do not re- 
collect his name, he is at work in the Commissary's storehouse, I could 
pick him out at any time. 

Q. He is now in camp ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When are you going to sail ? 

A. We are under orders now. 

Q. Has the steamer arrived ? 

A. She is expected daily, I suppose. 

Q. Have you any farther knowledge in regard to any frauds at 
the present time ? 

A. No, sir, not at all. I have heard men say they were induced 
to buy fifteen dollars worth of clothing in the recruiting office. They 
were informed that the clothing would be charged any way whether 
they took it or not — such as shirts and light kind of clothing. 

Q. Was it such clothing as was necessary ? 

A. Well, I suppose it would be well for them to have that clothing. 

Q. Do you know how much they paid ? If a fair price ? 

A. No, sir, I do not. 

Q. Do you recollect the names of those men? 

A. This man in the Commissary Department was one of them. 
I do not recollect his name. • 

42 



330 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

TESTIMONY OF MICHAEL ENGLISH. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Question. Where do you live ? 

Answer. I live in Warwick. 

Q. Have you been in the service of the United States ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In what regiment ? 

A. The 12th Rhode Island. 

Q. When did you enlist ? 

A. The 1st of "October, 1862. 

Q. Who enlisted you ? 

A. Well, the man that brought me and made out my papers was a 
man by the name of George Allen (not watchman) and a man by the 
name of Benjamin Newhall. I don't know whether he was a watch- 
man or not. 

Q. State what are the facts and if you have been imposed upon ? 
State your story ? 

A. They were paying 1418 bounty in the town of Warwick, and 
they were paying $508 bounty here, and I came up here to get this 
big bounty. I came to a fellow named Kimball who brought me to 
enlist and I passed the Doctor. It was a three years Doctor who passed 
me and they did not like to have a three years Doctor examine the nine 
months men. So I Avas waiting for a recruitino; officer and this George 
Allen came up and said " how much will you get for volunteering? " 
" How much do you want," said he ? Said I, " I want $20." Said he, 
I could not afford to give that much $20. I will give $10. I am for 
getting $508. There is no man in here that gives that and I wanted 
to go where I could get it. Come along, says he. No, says I. I 
have my name at a boarding house and I want to be there to-night. 
I will get you' some supper, said he. I did not know about his fetch- 
ing — first thing I knew he brought me to the watch house and locked 
me up. I did not know what to do — I got the damper to the stove, and 
I tapped the stove and he came down and two more watchmen and 
brought me up and took my money away. In the morning he came 
and asked, would I enlist. Said I that is what I came for, but I don't 
want to be made to. Said he how much money had you last night. 
$14,40, said I. Said he, you just got clear — he said I got into good 
hands and he gave me $9, and he went out and come up there after a 
few minutes and said he had been finding three dollars more, and I 
said I guess you will find the whole. He brought me along a ways and 
said I, I want to go and enlist ; said he, I can enlist you just as well as any- 
body. I thouglit he had no right, but he told me he was an officer 
and it was all right. He came along and just as I got outside of that 
watch-house (Doctor) Newhall was there with a buggy — a one horse 
buggy, and he wanted me to get into the buggy and I did not want to, 
and he wanted Allen to make me go in. I told Allen I would not and 
he, Newhall, said why not make him, and says Allen I can't make 
him if he don't want to — (I got in) and he brought me up I think 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 331 

near to the City Hotel to some big liquor store. Newhall asked me 
if I would not like some, he said he paid and I took a glass of brandy 
and he brought me up stairs. This recruiting officer on from (Hart- 
ford road) he is an agent, he says. 

Q. What is his name ? 

A. They call his name John Tallman. There was two of them. 
The other came in with a piece of paper. Said he, I wish you would 
attend to your own business. Said I, I don't want to enlist" for New- 
port, I want to enlist for the city of Providence and $508 bounty. 
That is what I want. Well, Allen whispered to him, and they talked 
it over and whatever Allen whispered to him he wrote ; well, I signed 
the papers and he brought me down to where they were examining 
them, and swearing in the Newport folks. I thought it was Provi- 
dence, and I did not know any deceit in it, I told him I did not 
want to be sworn in until I got my bounty. Said he then you have got 
to be. Here is (50.) I did not Avant to be sworn before I knew 
what I was going to get. I thought it was all safe enough of course. 
So I got swore in and came up again to this place and John Tallman, 
told this Newhall to pay me, and he would pay him. Well, he brought 
me up to camp and gave me fifty dollars and ten dollars for volunteer- 
ing; and I asked him when I should get the rest, and he said I had got 
all I should get. I applied at different times to Captain Eddy and 
the Captain always told me he had no time. I lost day after day try- 
ing to see him and I could not, and my woman used to come every day 
expecting to be paid off every day. It was every cent I had. I had 
a cow and good barn and every thing went right to loss. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. How did you lose it ? What did you mean 
by losing a cow, &c.? 

A. I will tell you ; she was away, and had nobody to look after 
the house, only a little girl, and she was only twelve years old. I 
had cabbages there which we were saving ; I had potatoes, and they 
all went to loss — the cabbages all rotted. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Your loss of cow and barn had no connec- 
tion with recruiting ? 

A. No, sir ; but through 'listing I lost it all. 

Q. Did you ever get your bounty? 

A. I got f 100 when I got out to Washington, and I sent homt- 
190 or $95, and kept $10 or |5 ; I guess it was |5. 

Q. You got all your bounty? 

A. That's all I'got, sir. ' - . 

Q. You got $50, and $10 for volunteering, and $100 when you 
got to Washington ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. That's all the bounty you were entitled to. 

A. I enhsted for $508. " 

Q. Who was to pay that, the town or city ? 

A. Well, the city. ' 

Q. What town did you enlist for ? 

A. I enlisted for the city of Providence ; if that was the last words 
I ever spoke to him — that I should be enlisted for the city. 



332 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. But the papers were returned for Newport, and you were 
sworn in for Newport ? 

A. Yes, sir, I guess I was. 

Q. How much bounty did Newport pay ? 

A. I beheve $156 down. Can't tell exactly. I don't think I 
had liquor enough down to not make me know what I was about ? 

Q. Do you read and write yourself ? 

A. Yes, sir ; but I am not a very good reader of writing. 

Q. Did you examine the papers yourself ? 

A. I did not. I never saw the papers until I was out in Virginia. 

Q. You found out then that you had enlisted for Newport ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. At what time did you find it out ? 

A. Just after getting out there. I was expecting it along and my 
Colonel sent Captain Hamlin a letter about it. 

TESTIMONY OF FREDERICK N. SHELDON. 
[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Q. What is your residence ? 

A. ProA'idence, 113 Power street. 

Q. What is your business ? 

A. I have no business at present. 

Q. Have you had any thing to do with the recruiting business in 
this State ? 

A. I have, sir. 

Q. When did you commence in that business ? 

A. I will not say positively, I think on the 12th or 14th of October 
last. 

Q. In what capacity ? 

A. Major Engley. I was in his office one day and Major Eng- 
ley asked me, it I would like to go away for him, I told him yes. 
He said that he had some men in Watertown, just beyond Rome that 
wanted to come on to Providence and that he was unwilling, well he 
did not express it in that way, but I took it to that effect — that he was 
unwilling to trust the money there and he wanted me to go to Water- 
town and pay the transportation and buy the tickets for the men. 

Q. Tickets to New York ? 

A. To Providence. I went to Watertown. 

Q. His proposition to you was to go to Watertown to bring on 
these men ? 

A. Yes, sir ; send them on. 

Q. Pay their transportation ? 

A. Pay their transportation. 

Q. Did he furnish you the money ? 

A. He did, sir, $100. 

Q. How many men were there ? 

A. When I arrived in Watertown there were seven. If I remem- 
ber right it will not exceed one or two men from that, sir. Only two 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 333 

of those men eventually belonged to Major Engley. The other 
five out of the seven were under a Mr. Ray. 

Q. Who is Mr. Ray ? 

A. He was a colored man who had been recruiting for Mr. Sisson 
and I endeavored to bring the whole of the men through ; but not be- 
ing recognized by Mr. Ray, who being a colored man at work for Mr. 
Sisson, one of Mr. Engley's agents, he would not turn those men over 
to me. I met him in the street, the principal street of Watertown and 
he showed me this telegraph. " Turn your men over to nobody. " 
This was sent from Mr. Sisson to Mr. Ray, not to me, to send these 
men forward. That dispatch was for him to go with these men to 
Rome himself. He showed me that on the principal street. 

Q. Sisson was in Rome ? 

A. He was just out of Rome but would meet him on the arrival 
of the train that night. When I met Mr. Sisson, he says if I had 
heard that these men were yours and had known who you were, I 
should have made no objection. Says he, you take them now and pay 
their fare and I paid their fare and they came through to Providence 
with them. I am very certain there were seven men. 

Q. How much was taken from their bounty ? 

A. That I don't know, sir. 

Q. That was between them and Major Engley ? 

A. Yes sir — passed out of my hands. 

Q. How much did Engley pay you ? 

A. My expenses and two dollars a day for my services. I must 
take back a little of that. That is the agreement he has not paid me 
yet. 

Q. These were colored men for the 14th regiment ? 

A. Colored men for the 14th regiment. 

Q. Were they all enlisted ? 

A. That I could not say sir. These men came on here and I 
swore them in — but I will not say whether I swore those men — 
I swore in quite a number — two hundred and fifty or three hundred 
men as Justice of the Peace on a commission from the General As- 
sembly signed by the Governor. 

Q. With a bounty of $250 dollars. Is that what you mean ? 

A. I do not know, sir. I merely paid their transportation. 

Q. After disposing of this batch of seven men, what did you do ? 

A. I went to Baltimore, sir. 

Q. Did Major Engley employ you to go to Baltimore ? 

A. He did, sir. 

Q. Did he pay you by the day, or agree to pay you ? 

A. There was no difference in the agreement sir, nothing said. 

Q. Did you get any men in Baltimore or Maryland ? 

A. I got two men in Baltimore. 

Q. What agreement did they make ? 

A. Those were not enlisted by me, sir. AllI paid was their fare. 
I made no agreement with any man whatever. I merely paid their fare. 

Q. Your business was merely to come on and pick up the men that 
had been recruited bv other agents ? 



334 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. Yes, sir ; had the mouey in my pocket to pay their transpor- 
tation. 

Q. Is that all you have ever done in the way of recruiting ? Have 
you over recruited any men yourself ? 

A. I have never recruited a man, not the first man. 

Q, Have you been employed in Major Engley's office since that 
time ? 

A . I have, sir. 

Q. Are you now there ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Up to what time were you in the office ? 

A. I could not say exactly. I think some time in January, sir. 

Q. Were you employed by the day ? 

A. By the day, sir. 

Q. It seems that you have sworn in quite a number as Justice of 
the Peace ? Did you work by the day in that, or did you have the 
fees. 

A. Well, I made three arrangements with Major Engley, and I 
never accomplished any thing out of any. 

Q. State if you please what arrangements were made ? 

A. My first arrangement was with Major Engley, when he came 
to me to go to Watertown, I came to know if he wanted a job. I went 
for him and there were no arrangements (for pay) or any thing of the 
kind. On my return he says, I would like to have you go away 
again and I will give you two dollars a day for your services, and I will 
pay your expenses or I will give you three dollars a day and you may 
pay them yourself. I asked what he meant, and he said my hotel bills 
— in that light. The next arrangement I came home and he said that 
he was very sorry but he wanted me to go to work for him and swear 
in these men as Justice of the Peace. I swore in two lots of men, 
it was the 13th day of December, I think. I think on Sunday ; at 
any rate on Monday and Tuesday I swore in — no it was before that, 
that is — the last time I got home he wanted me to swear in men as 
Justice of the Peace and I swore in two lots. 

Q. Was he to pay you for swearing them in ? 

A. He agreed to pay me 12 1-2 cts. I told him I thought the law 
did not allow of my taking short of 25 cts., but if there was going to be 
a good deal of it I was willing to compensate him if he would give 
me the business and I would not swear them in short of twenty-five 
cents. I swore in a good deal of men until I went away to Balti- 
more. I spent some time in Baltimore and thence to Fortress Monroe 
— met Engley's brother at Norfolk — name was A. P. Engley. 

Q. What Avas he doing, recruiting? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. About swearing in these men have you received any pay from 
the men ? 

A. No, sir; not the first cent. 

Q. Have you from anybody ? 

A. Weill haVe nothing, unless Major Engley considers it in pay^ 
ing me by the day. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 335 

Q. Do you knew whether he has been paid any fees for swearing 
in these men ? 

A. I do not. I know one thing I got a pretty good game played 
on me. 

Q. Do you know any thing about any trade with these men, these 
recruits ? 

A. I do, sir. 

Q. Property that has been sold to them ? 

A. I do, sir. 

Q. I wish you to state all you know about that. Have you sold 
any watches or other property to any of these colored recruits ? 

A. I have, sir. 

Q. How many watches have you sold ? 

A. I will not state positively either twenty-nine or thirty-one sir. 

Q. Where was this done ? 

A. That has been done in Weybosset street. 

Q. Was in Major Engley's office ? 

A. No sir, it Avas in my office. 

Q. You have an office separate from him ? 

A,' Yes, separate from him in Dyer's building, as agent. 

Q. Agent for whom ? 

A. The person that furnished the money to me. 

Q. Who' was it.? 

A. Major J. C. Engley. I did the business as agent, sir. 

Q. What kind of watches were these watches, sir, and what price. 

A. Four watches were sold at thirty dollars and the balance at 
twenty-five dollars — good running watches, furthermore I told the 
men. 

Q. Did you buy the watches ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Who bought them ? 

A. That's more than I can say. 

Q. Who furnished them to you ? 

A. The Express Company on a check given me by J. C. Engley, 
that's before I knew any thing about the transaction. 

Q. You did not order these watches ? 

A. No, sir. I never bought but one watch in my life, and that I 
have in my pocket. I know they came from New Y ork but I did 
not know the parties. 

Q. Do you know what the prices of the watches were ? 

A. I know that forty watches cost f494. He gave me a check to 
the express office to get them. 

Q. Forty watches cost $494 ? 

A. Yes, sir, I think it was forty as near as I can get to it. I 
would not swear whether it was forty or thirty eight or forty-two. 

Q. Were the watches all alike or were they of different quali- 
ties ? 

A. There were different qualities. Here is one watch that belongs 



336 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

to me. That is one of the $25 watches. That has been worn for 
five months. 

Q. Is this one of the best watches ? 

A. No, sir, that is not. That is a second quality watch. 

Q. What does such a watch as that cost ? 

A. You must figure. I don't know what he paid for the differ- 
ence. I never saw any bill sir. It is not like the watches Mr. Bal- 
lou sold those men in New York. 

Q. Were these watches you sold for Major Engley all good 
watches ? 

A. As far as I know, sir. I sold three watches with broken crys- 
tals to men who were bound to have them, late at night, when I could 
not get other crystals put in, and I told them if they would bring 
them in, I would have other crystals put in. I have always told 
these men if these watches would not go, I would have them fixed. 
The men asked me if I would give them the money back. I told 
them no, for the reason I could not give money back that I did not 
receive. 

Q. They asked if you would, provided they were not satisfactory 
at the time ? 

A. I told them, no. I would exchange a watch and give them a 
watch that would be satisfactory ; but how could I give a man money 
when I did not receive money. 

Q. You took their orders ? 

A. Yes, sir, I took their orders and I never received the first red 
cent on any man's order. 

Q. A.nd these orders went into the hands of Engley ? 

A. Eventually ; — they went into the hands of Mr. Ohace and 
Mr. Noyes, his clerks. 

Q. What were the prices which they (the men) paid for these 
watches ? 

A. Twenty-five and thirty dollars. Four I think at thirty as I 
said before. 

Q. Four at thirty, and twenty-five dollars for the rest ? 

A. I think it was either three or four. 

Q. By Mr Thomas. You spoke of sixty watches ? Were not the 
whole sixty sold. 

A. No sir. 

Q. What was done with the rest of the watches ? 

A. I suppose they were in Major Engley's possession. I do not 
know where they are. 

Q. Did you deliver them to him, or were they never in your pos- 
session ? 

A. No sir ; I did not deliver them to him for the reason that part 
of them was in my own place in which I was doing business, under a 
commission which I received from the United States government, as a 
retail fancy goods dealer. I think it is No. 23, next door to the Bank 
of North America, — room No. 3. 

Q. You mean you have a license ? 

A. I have a license, sir, which I have paid for to the United 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 337 

States government, to cany on business not to exceed twenty-five 
thousand dollars a year. 

Q. Did you sell any other property besides watches ? 

A. I did, sir. 

Q. What things ? 

A. I sold shirts. 

Q. Flannel shirts ? 

A. Woolen, both over and under, buckskin gloves, mittens, com- 
forters. Thats all, I think — and boots. 

Q. Did you sell them on your own account or on the account of 
Major Engley ? 

A. I sold them and took the receipts in my own name for the 
bounty. 

Q. Took the orders ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was this trade on your own account entirely ? 

A. As agent. It was not so in all the receipts I received. All 
the receipts I received were simply N. Sheldon. But I don't see 
how it could be any thing different but agent where I was working for a 
man by the day. 

Q. You did not invest any capital ? 

A. Not the first cent. 

Q. Did Major Engley buy the goods ? 

A. He and me bought them together. 

Q He furnished the capital ? 

A. When I went and bought goods I had to take the bill back 
and pay it after I got the goods for myself. I am not in a situation 
in this State to buy a lot of goods on credit 

Q When did you take out your license ? 

A. On the 12th day of December, I think it was, sir. 

Q. Who paid for that license, Major Engley or you? 

A. I paid for it myself, sir, through him ; Major Engley advanced 
the money to pay that. He gave me the money last night. 

Q. You obtained this license merely to trade for him ? 

A. As agent ? I do not say his agent, or anybody's else ; you 
can draw your own inferences. 

Q. Can you make any statement (I do not care about your 
going into the particulars of this trade) of anywhere near the amount 
of all the goods sold under this license — 'State the whole amount of 
sales of vftrious kinds of goods, either in addition to, or with the 
watches ? ( 

A. With the watches, altogether, it amounts to $1,836 00, I 
think, a httle short of |50. 

Q. Now, can you state the amount of profit Major Engley has 
made ? You say you worked by the day. Can you state the amount 
of profit Major Engley has made on that trade ? 

A. I cannot, but I will give you what I think. I don't think 
that, with what goods there is remaining on hand, if he was to sell 
those goods to-day, that he would clear $500. That's my candid 
opinion. 

43 



338 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. His trade has stopped now ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What is the value of the goods remaining on hand ? 

A. I should say 1800 ; and he has not sold any more than what 
has paid for what he bought, but his profits will be on what he gets 
for the goods he has on hand at the present time. I don't think that 
he has made 

Q. That would make the profits «*«^^ "^ 



A If he could get 

Q. Are they valuable goods, or what is the character of the goods? 

A. The goods that remains on hand with him, are principally 
shirts. I think about three or four dozen gloves, about twenty pairs 
of mittens, two or three comforters, and the balance in watches. 

Q. How many watches are there on hand now ? 

A. I think he has on hand now, something like eighteen or nine- 
teen, I would not say positive. If I was at my house I could tell just 
what he ought to have. Whether he has disposed of any since I left 
him, that's more than I can say. 

Q. These shirts are of a good merchantable quality? 

A. Yes, sir, I should say they were. 

Q. What were the prices which you received from these men for 
these shirts ? 

A. Those shirts were $2,50 and $3 apiece — 15 and $6 a pair. 

Q. Do you know what such goods cost at the stores here in the 
city? 

A. I know what I have bought ; I have bought some of them ; 
and shirts that were sold for $2,50 apiece, I have paid $2,50 for at 
the stores. But our principal trade, while I was there, was in boots. 

Q. What kind of boots did you sell ? 

A. I bought the best boots I could buy, such boots as I have been 
informed that Snow, on Westminster street, was selling down to 
camp for $9 a pair. These boots I bought of Allen J. Brown, at 
$5,50 and $6, and we sold them for fifty cents profit on these boots — 
that's all we ever charged. 

Q. Let me see if I recollect rightly what you have stated. The 
whole amount of sales which you have made, including watches, was 
about $1,800 ? 

A. Yes, sir ; it will not exceed $1,900. 

Q. And the profit, in the form of goods on hand, is worth about 
eight hundred dollars ? ^ 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In selling these goods, did you sell to the men before they 
were mustered into the service ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did they muster men in here, or al the 
camp ? Did you not sell men goods here after they were sworn in ? 

A. I sold them after they were sworn in, and not after they were 
mustered in. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You have not been to camp selling these 
goods ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 339 

A. No, sir, I have not. My clerk has been to Dutch Island and 
sold shirts, goods and drawers. 

Q. In taking orders, there was some risk that the orders would 
not be paid ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. This profit was without regard to orders or risks on orders ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. If any of the orders should not be paid, the profit would be 
less ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I can show you one now, it is not worth two cents. 

Q. Whose loss Avas that ? yours or Major Engley's ? 

A. I don't know whose loss it is, I have not lost it. 
. Q. He has not settled with you yet, and you have a claim for 
wages ? 

A. I have a claim for wages, but there is an attachment on that. 

Q. Whose attachment ? 

A. John N. Francis. Major Engley cannot settle with me, be- 
cause everything is attached that he owes me. 

Q. When you went off abroad as employee for Major Engley, 
did he pay your fare on the railroads ? 

A. He did, sir ; and my hotel bills. 

Q. Did he furnish you with transportation ? 

A. Yes, sir; all the transportation. 

Q. From the State ? 

A. I do not know Avhether it was from the State* He gave me 
an order on different railroads. 

Q. How were the orders signed ? 

A. They were signed J. C. Engley. I have one order in my 
pocket now. [Shows it.] 

" Providence, Feb. 11, '64. 
Mr. Edwards : Please furnish the bearer one ticket from New York to Providence, 
and oblige. Yours, truly, 

J. C. ENGLEY, Major, &c. 

[Shows another, used when he went to Watertown.] 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Could he give you orders on different 
railroads out of the State, the same as in the State ? 

A. Yes, sir ; (the one above mentioned,) to the agents of the 
Western railroad, Mr. T. L. Green, to furnish transportation, and 
charge to J. C. Engley. 

Q. Whose writing is that ? 

A. That was wrote by John L. Noyes, the book-keeper, and 
signed by himself. 

Q. Did Chace have any connection with the trading business 
at all ? 

A. Mr. Chace came in there several times, and assisted me in my 
business. 

Q. He worked there in your business ? 

A. Yes, sir, and with me. 

Q. Did he make any sales ? 



340 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. I think Mr. Chace sold three or four watches — I am very 
certain he did. . 

Q. Did he sell any other goods besides watches ? 

A. I could not say ; you get into a small room with a dozen or 
fifteen men, and it's hard work to tell what is doing — especially col- 
ored men. I know he sold some watches. 

Q. You kept an account of sales ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Could you not tell from your account, what sales he made in 
your absence ? Mr. Chace knew what your arrangements were with 
Engley ? 

A. He ought to know ; for the reason that I received an ordel 
from Major Engley to turn over everything, orders and everything 
to Mr. Chace. 

Q. To turn over orders and goods ? 

A. Yes, sir ; orders and accounts of everything I kept. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did you have a written order to do this ? 

A. No, sir ; verbal. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Mr. Chace used to be in there along with 
you, assisting you ? 

A. Yes, sir ; he wrote all the receipts. 

Q. He is in tlie employ of Major Engley ? 

A. Yes, sir : in his employ. 

Q. Do you know of any frauds practiced upon any of these re- 
cruits by Major Engley, or his agents, with his knowledge or consent? 

A. 'Not that I know of. I have never heard of the first one, and 
I have never seen anything in my pi'esence. I have seen a great 
many men come in, and I have seen Major Engley, time and time 
again, pay $25 of their bounty and take their orders for it, and not 
get the first cent, and then, at the same time, there is men that has 
come here and enlisted that would give something, and I never have 
seen him give them a cent. 

Q. Do you know whether Major Engley employed a large amount 
of money or not ? 

A. I do not understand you, sir. 

Q. Whether he employed a large capital or not ? 

A. I think he has, sir. 

Q. Do you know where he obtained it ? 

A. I do not know, sir. I will tell you where I think his money 
came from — through his wife, who lives in Foxboro, just out of Bos- 
ton. It was the private capital of his wife. 

Q. Is she a woman of fortune ? 

A. With some money, I don't 

Q. Colonel Francis did not advance him any money that you 
know of? 

A. I know all the orders that I sold tor. Col. Francis paid right 
over to him. 

Q. He paid them immediately? 

A. When they were carried in, sir ; I cannot swear to it, because 
I don't know. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 341 

Q. You took these orders before their bounty was payable ? 

A. I did, sir. 

Q. But, Col. Francis paid them without respect to the time when 
the bounty was payable ? 

A. I can show you an order that the clerk sold goods for, and we 
never could find the man. 

Q. What was he, a deserter? 

A. I think he signed a false name. 

Q. Why did not Col. Francis pay this ? 

A. He paid it, you know, and then it came back to him, [shows 
the above mentioned order,] for when he paid off the men he could 
not find any such man. 

Q. Then it was paid back to Francis ? 

A. Yes, sir ; paid back to him again, because he did not find the 
man. I will bet that if Major Engley, to-day, wants $5,000, he will 
get it, or $10,000. 

Q. Major Engley, then, in carrying on this business, if he wanted 
money at any time to advance to his agents or recruits, he could 
draw on Col. Francis for any amount he chose to draw ? 

A. I do not know. We could carry in all the checks and all the 
papers, and then there was head money from the State. There was 
three or four ways to commence it as soon as he did carry and show 
it to the proper autliorities. 

Q. Francis did not wait until all this bounty was payable, he ad- 
vanced it on Engley's credit ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who pays them? 

A. Paid at the Paymaster's office when these men came home. 

Q. Does Engley do it ? 

A. No, sir ; but his clerks do it. 

Q. Have you stated all you know with regard to any trade car- 
ried on with these recruits by Major Engley, or under Major Engley? 

A. As far as anything that I think would be of any advantage to 
you to know. I will say one thing with regard to Major Engley. 
The expenses have been very heavy ; he has brought men from 
Chicago, and from the west, and rather than lose a man he has sent 

them there to M , thirty at a time, and paid their board from 

Saturday night until Monday morning — until they were examined. 
Another thing, if Major Engley had been smart as some men would 
have been, he might have made more money than he has. Some men 
would not have furnished these rejected men with transportation back. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Was he not bound to furnish these men with 
transportation ? 

A. If he had done the same as the rest, he never would have fur- 
nished hundreds upon hundreds of men. I suppose he sent two 
hundred and fifty or three hundred men back to their homes, because 
they could not pass, and nine-tenths of these men I could have taken 
to our border States and got them through. 

Q. Have you told all you know about any frauds or swindling, 
upon any men that has been practiced ? 



342 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. I do not think of any thing. I do not know of any swindling 
or any frauds. I don't think I can give you any further information 
than I have. 

TESTIMONY OF G. M. HOPKINS. 
[Examined by Chairman.] 

Question. What is your name, residence and occupation ? 

Answer. G. M. Hopkins, 290 Hay street, Providence, Rhode 
Island. 

Q. What is your occupation ? 

A. I am not doing any thing at present. 

Q. Have you had any thing to do with the recruiting business, in 
this State ? 

A. IS o, sir; nothing whatever. 

Q. Have you been in the employ of any of the recruiting agents 
in this State ? 

A. Never, in the recruiting business ? 

Q. In any business ? 

A. Yes, sir, I have. 

Q. In any way connected with recruits ? 

A. Not connected with any recruits whatever, in the light I look 
at it, it is not in recruiting. I have been selling goods to the soldiers. 
I do not understand that that is recruiting. 

Q. Have you sold goods on your own account to the soldiers ? 

A. No, sir, I have not ; not since I have been in this line. 

^. You have been in the employ of Engley ? 

A. As I understand it, my agreement with him was that I should 
go in company, and that I should receive one third of the profits. 

Q. What business ? 

A. Trading. That was, in shirts and all kinds of goods for the 
soldiers. 

Q. Did you take out a license to trade ? 

A. I did not sir, they took out a license — my partners took it out. 
They considered me in the end a clerk, and I received a clerk's pay. 

Q. When you went in j^ou understood it was to be as a partner ? 

A. I understood it so — we M^ere to be partners as I understood, 
and he was to back me so and so. After I got through I did not re- 
ceive any thing but a regular salary, and that was one dollar and a half 
a day. 

Q, What did you do ? 

A. Well, I sold the goods. What I mean, I sold shirts and army 
goods through and through — I travelled. What I mean by army 
goods — gloves, mittens, shirts and comforters, all through and through, 
and no other kind of goods. 

Q. Did you go to the camp and sell them ? 

A. I did. 

Q. Did you buy the goods ? 

A. No, sir, I did not. I went in with Major J. C. Engley, and 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 343 

the Boston train was delayed, and I did not start with Major Engley 
until next morning. That was — I cannot exactly tell when — I think 
it was in December — because I travelled through to camp. I went to 
Boston with him and bought goods. I went into three establishments 
— four establishments. 

Q. What is the whole amount of trading that you have done ? 
A* That is a thing which it is pretty hard to tell. I should guess 
pretty near the same as Mr. Sheldon did, eighteen hundred or nine- 
teen hundred dollars, if not more, goods were sold — there are goods 
on hand at the present time. 

Q. These sales were all to the soldiers ? 

A. Yes, sir ; every one of them that I know of. I do not know 
after I turned my goods over into his hands. 

Q. How about the amount of sales made by you altogether ? 
A. This was done inside that building, and down to camp. $1800 
or $1900. I should not think over and above that. 
Q. You took orders. 

A. I did, sir. I took orders down there to Dutch Island — I 
should think they amounted altogether to three or four hundred dol- 
lars. 

Q. Down to camp ? 

A. Yes, sir, at Dutch Island. The great risk to run at that 
time was, that false names were given a great many times. If I had 
not been too smart for them it would have been worse than it was. 
That was an order I took, which Mr. Sheldon showed you — with a 
false name. 

Q. Those were the sales you made. Had they any connection 
with the sales made by Mr. Sheldon. 

A. Altogether — It was the same thing. I took my goods from 
his department. I took just what goods I thought was right. 
Q. These sales were not in addition to Sheldon's ? 
A. No, sir ; not in addition. The goods were sold by him at the 
office, and by me at the camp. 

Q. Do you know of any trade separate from this that Sheldon has 
already testified to ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not — any except what I have been with — off and 
back ? 

Q. On your own account ? 

A. No, sir; on account of Major Engley, and that has been trav- 
elling in this line of business. 

Q. In whose name were these goods bought ? Whose name did 
he buy them in ? How did he have them marked ? 

A. As I look at it, he sent them over the road to F. J. Sheldon, 
agent, and marked the boxes so. I suppose he was understanding me 
as a clerk, though I supposed I was in partnership. 

Q. What were the profits made by Major Engley on these goods, 
right through and through, so far as you know ? 

A. One hundred to one hundred and fifty per cent. Some eighty 
per cent. Some one hundred per cent. 

Q. Was this over and above all expenses ? 



344 REPOKT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. That, is more than I can tell — what those charges were I do 
not know any thing about. 

Q. That is, considering the expenses and what you are going to 
lose ? 

A. If a man is travelling in camp his expenses are very heavy. 

Q. You mean then, on sales actually made, the profits ranged from — ? 

A. From $100, $75 1150 per cent. 

Q, That is considering the goods all sold ? 

A. I speak of profits on goods actually sold — I cannot say ex- 
actly — here is goods on hand, and you did not know what they will 
bring. 

Q. Are you selling any now ? 

A. No, sir ; nothing at all whatever. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. I understand that these orders were given on 
the Paymaster? 

A. No, sir, they were given on Major Engley, and to F. Sheldon. 

Q. These orders were in the form of receipts ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. That receipt is taken to the Paymaster, and he cashes it ? 

A. Yes, sir, I suppose so. 

TESTIMONY OF EDWARD DORRANCE. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Question. What is your name, Mr. Dorrance ? 

Answer. Edward Dorrance. 

Q. You are Commissary ? 

A. I have been Commissary since the 14th regiment was started. 
Since its formation I have been with the regiment. 

Q. Have you had any thing to do with the recruiting business ? 

A. Not at' all, sir. 

Q. Do you know any thing of your own personal knowledge, 
in regard to any fraud or swindling, that has been practiced upon any 
of the men in that regiment ? 

A. Well, I knew some things, I suppose. I know of a man that 
has bought watches at this office here. Major Engley's office, that I 
would say would cost $4,50 or $5 a piece. When the men first 
came into camp and showed them to me, they said they gave thirty 
dollars for them. I have been told by the sergeant that it was in the 
office, they told him there that they cost four and one-half dollars a 
piece. They were watches that if you carried a day or two, they 
would turn all black, and stop, and would not go — as cheap a watch 
probably as could be manufactured. 

Q. Do you know of whom they bought these watches ? 

A. Well, some of them told me that they bought them of Sheldon, 
I think it is F. J. Sheldon — the one who used to be here m the Quar- 
termaster General's office — in his department. And then some of 
them said they bought them of Engley — that Engley advised them to 
take one of them — they needed one, and wanted one, and it was just 
what they wanted, and they ought to take it. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 345 

Q. Did they pay Engley ? 

A. They gave the man an order on the Paymaster, for thirty dol- 
lars, and signed a receipt for thirty dollars. I have known them to 
be paid and taken out their first instalment. 

Q. Have you seen any of these orders which they signed ? 

A. I do not know as I have seen any order signed. I know no 
more than they told me when the Paymaster come up to camp — after 
they got their pay they came down and cursed a little because they got 
cheated so in their watches. 

Q. Were these orders paid by the Paymaster ? 

A. I think they w^ere, sir. They were deducted from the bounty. 

Q. Did you hear them make complaint to the Paymaster ? 

A. I do not think I did. The first time I heard of it, that they 
made complaint, it was down on the Island, in some companies there. 
I was at this camp, and one day a lot of recruits came in, and they 
had these watches, and one or two came into my building and wanted 
me to look at them, and see what I thought they looked like. I looked 
at the watches and asked them what they would give me to tell the price. 
Then they would carry them a day or two longer, and say it would 
not go, and it would be all black — turn black. 

Q. The watches were worthless ? 

A. Well, I do not want a great many of them at any price. I 
never knew but one man that ever dealt honorably with any of these 
men for watches, and that was John C. Harrington. He sold a good 
many watches. He is Drum Major of the American Brass Band 
here. 

Q. Do you'know that Engley sold these watches, in any other 
way than from the fact the men said so ? 

A. I do not. 

Q. Do you know the name of any man or men, who* said they 
bought watches in the office ? 

A. Engley I believe advised. I cannot recollect but one man. 

Q. What is his name ? 

A. Andrew B. Conard. 

Q. Did he pay Engley for his watch ? 

A. Yes, sir ; he was up here with me. He was in the Hall, while 
I was in Railroad Hall, and the company got paid off down to the 
camp, and when the company was paid, he was up here with the 
money. He did not get his pay of course with the company. His 
money was left on the Island. I went over to Gen. Francis for his 
money. The General said he had left an order and he had taken out 
the pay for the watch. The sergeant asked if he had taken out the 
pay for the watch he bought of Engley, and Gen. Francis told him 
if he had given an order for watches to Engley, he had taken it out, 
and it was a poor time then to find fault, after he had given an order. 

Q. General Francis told him so ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you see his watch ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

44 



346 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Was that one of the bogus watches ? 

A. It was one of these burners. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Do you know the names of any of the par- 
ties who sold watches in Major Engley's, and who represented them 
as his property ? 

A. Well, it appears so, that Mr. Sheldon and Captain Ballou — 
he had a (Commission from the Governor in the 12th regiment, and 
went to recruiting, and it appears so that when he commenced recruiting 
they commenced to give orders — it appears that Ballou staid in New 
York and sent on recruits, and sent on watches to this office, and Bal- 
lou stated to the sergeant that what he gave was $4,50 a piece for the 
watches in New York. 

Q. Did you have this from the sergeant ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What is his name ? 

A. A. Sergeant Bush. He is on the Island. He was with 
Major Engley there some time ? 

Q. There is some other party you have not mentioned that was in 
Engley's office ? 

A. Ballou did not remain here. Engley it appears was in the 
office. One of the recruits it appears thought he was obliged to have 
them. It was Chace that was in the office. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Do you knew whether Chace or Sheldon 
opened the office or kept the place. 

A, I was told this Sheldon and they, were all concerned together. 
I was told by Colonel Vial, he went in on Saturday I think. He 
came up on Saturday night and Sunday he came over to the Hall, 
where I was, and Mr. Luke S. Chace happened to be going along, 
and so the Colonel saw him, and the Colonel says, there goes a sneak, 
and says he I met a soldier when Iwas in Barber's Eating House, and 
I think he said while he was eating a soldier came in thei'e, and the 
Colonel asked him " what are you doing here, have you enlisted, " or 
some thing of that kind. He says, no, I am here to rope in the re- 
cruits to buy watches. The Colonel asked him where it was, and the 
Colonel told him he Avould like to see the place, and this recruit took 
him up and showed him where abouts it was that they sold the watches 
and he says that L. S. Chace was there making out the orders all 
printed on the Paymaster, and telling them that they had better take 
the watches. Mr. Chace did not see the Colonel ; he only stopped 
to see what was going on. There were lots of boots and shoes, and 
shirts and a lot of such stuff. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did you understand that, that was a part 
of the Executive Department of the State ? 

A. They stated that some of the bounties were paid there. They 
said that a man was obliged to have fifteen dollars worth of clothing. 
I understood, no longer ago than company M, was paid off, when the col- 
ored ladies of New York presented a flag to their battalion ; you 
recollect that a lot of non-commissioned officers of the 3d battalion 
came up to receive it. Well, company M, was paid off a few days 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 347 

before, so one of the corporals came to me Saturday morning, and he 
says " Adjutant. " He called me adjutant. I was acting here at that 
time, signing for clothing for the battalion. Says he, are men obliged 
to have fifteen dollars worth of clothing from that office. I said, no, 
sir. Said he, they done it to me on the Island and took it out of my 
bounty. 

Q. Did he say who did it ? 

A. Major Engley's office. In that office, he said. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. I want to know how far he knows? 

A. They had — you probably know where his office is. There is 
a little entry that runs in back of his office, you come up over Taft, 
Steere & Co.'s Dry Goods store, and as nigh as I can find out, there 
is where they had the room. 

Q. You were in the camp at the time Barnaby, Snow and Hun- 
t6on went down ? 

A. I was there when the 1st battalion came up. I never have 
been at Dutch Island. I have always been up here. Brown had a 
place where he sold boots and shoes and always sold them at rea- 
sonable prices, and so when the first battalion was going off — 

Q. Was not Brown selling with authority? 

A. He had, by the Colonel. He was Sutler. He was selling to 
company E. Colonel wanted him to bring in trimmings to coats and 
caps, and after a while he took in Chace with him, and after a while 
when the 1st battalion came up here to embark, the allotment com- 
missioner came up there and saw all to once. Capt. Fry and he,went to the 
Major and wanted his men to come down street here, and get shirts, and 
boots, and shoes. The allotment commissioner, and Barnaby and 
Snow, was there so that they could get their cash. The men came down 
and got what they wanted, and all they had to do was to take their names. 
That was why Captain Fry and he went to the Major, and then the 
whole company came down. 

Q. Do you know of your own knowledge that the allotment com- 
missioner required them to do so ? 

A. Required them to do so, no more than he gave them the 
cards where to go and they used to come dow^i in squads. 

Q. Do you know any thing about the prices paid ? 

A. Weil, I believe at that time they were a little human. They 
were not quite so bad as they have been since. 

Q. Did they buy better than they could buy of Brown ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. How did these men get out of camp ? Did they get released 
by the order of the commissioner ? 

A. Major Comstock gave permission — Mr. Brown sent him to 
him to know what it meant — he talked with me and I said I did not 
know what they were about. He said they did not want them, (the 
goods). Capt. Fry came to Major Comstock to get them to go. 

Q. What did they charge for boots ? 

A. Nine dollars a pair. They were long Wellington top boots. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Where did authority to sell come from ? 



348 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. Capt. Fry went to the Major, and the Major said, I believe 
there is no objection — So Mr. Snow would have fifteen or so 
come into his shop, and then more. 

Q. Can you state where the authority came fi'om for these fur- 
loughs. Was it by his instigation or did some one ? — 

A. Well I understood that Capt. Fry let them come. 

Q. Have you been present at the sales of watches ? 

A. I never have been present, because they always got them be- 
fore they came to camp. The men came to me finding fault about 
some of these men. They used to call them damned swindlers. 

Q. By Mr. Hill. Did it make any dissatisfaction in camp ? 

A. Well, it did not make it very pleasant sometimes. 

Q, Have you known of any complaints from the men of not re- 
ceiving all the bounty they were entitled to ? 

A. I know of one man, he came to me — his name is Wm. Mer- 
cer. He is a man that started about the time the remment first began to 
form, and was recruiting from that time. Well, there was one day, in 
December ; the Colonel gave him a pass to come up here, and he comes 
up and goes to Major Engley's office, and says to Major Engley, " I want 
a settlement ; I would like to get a settlement." Major Engley turned 
round, " have you got a pass ?" " Yes, sir." " Let's see it," said 
he, and he looks at his pass, and takes it and puts it into his pocket, 
and goes up stairs and tells Mr. Chace to brmg that man to me. 
Well, Chace brought him over to the hall, and I heard Mr. Chace's 
story. He said he was very abusive over there, and was saucy, and 
all this kind, and abused his pass. I heard his story and he Avent out. 
After he went out, Mercer began to cry. I said, " Mercer, what are 
you crying about ?" Said he, " I want to know what I am put here 
for." Said I, " Chace tells me that you have been abusive." Said 
he, " Adjutant, I'll tell you just all I have said, he says, I came up 
this afternoon — it was Saturday in the afternoon — and went to see 
Major Engley, and asked him for a settlement. He said I have 
brought, I think he says, fifty recruits. I have paid out about $200 
to get these men, and he has got a gold watch of mine, and he says, 
because I have asked him for a settlement, he has sent me over here." 
Said he, " that's it, that's what I said, and there's a man that came 
up with me, Mr. Rice, you can ask him." When he came in, I 
wanted to know, for the sake of the man, whether I should keep him 
there or not. If he had not done anything I was willing to let him 
go. When he came, I asked him if this man was abusive over 
to [Engley's office, and all he said he did was, he went to Major 
Engley and asked for a settlement, and Major Engley would not give 
him any settlement, but took from him his pass and sent him here. 
"Well," I says to Mercer, " how many recruits have you sent?" 
" I do not know," says he, " here's my book." He took the book 
and showed it to me. On it was — there were many such places — so 
much for lodgings and breakfast, and supper ; so much for transporta- 
tion. This was on his book. I do not know how much it would 
amount to. He said he thought it would amount to $200. I did not 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 349 

reckon it up. He said, "I can't get no settlement, and he's got my 
watch." 

Q. Well, what became of him ? How long did you keep him ? 

A. Well, by that time, I told him he could go home to his wife. 
He is a pretty nice sort of a colored man— he is a very good man. 
I said, " you can go and see your wife, and keep away from that 
office, and when the Colonel comes, I will see about it." I told him 
to report to me the next morning at eight or nine o'clock. The next 
morning he did so. When he came, I said, "you can go back and 
report to me at six o'clock this evening. The next morning you can 
go down on the Island and see the Colonel, and see what is to be 
done." So he went down on the Island, and what he said to the 
Colonel I do not know ; but I spoke to the Colonel when he came up, 
as to how it was about such things. Well, his complaint was, t|jat 
Engleydidn't pay him for getting the men. Benjamin Grreenborough, 
in Co. L, I think he is, Mercer told me that he had got eight men, and 
Engley agreed to pay him so much apiece, and he had paid transpor- 
tations, &c., for these men, which amounted to about $300, and he 
could get no settlement with him. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. That is another man? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Not the same one ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did you send off the man you were speak- 
ing of before he made a settlement ? 

A. He is on the Island now, that is, I suppose so. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Of course he belongs to this battalion? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. This was an enlisted man whom they had sent out to recruit ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you heard complaints from any man that he was cheated 
out of a part of his own bounty ? 

A. I have heard complaints that a man was cheated out of all his 
bounty, he said so. 

Q. Who was that? 

A. I could not tell you his name, I have forgotten his name. 

Q. Did he say who had done it ? 

A. Major Engley, I believe, he laid it to. The man had been 
off recruiting. When he started off to get some recruits, he got 
some recruits for Major Engley, and he let him have $10. He sent 
the recruits down, and come down and got more money. He kept 
getting money, and he used to keep sending orders for money. Maj. 
Engley told him when he got through recruiting, that he would make 
it all right, and when he came up the day the company was paid off, 
I believe the Paj^master took it out of his bounty. 

Q. How did it get to the Paymaster? 

A. He used to give orders. He would say to the Paymaster, 
" for value received, I promise to pay J. C. Engley."' He would 
give it to the Paymaster. This man signed it, and I suppose Engley 
witnessed it — on some of his official business. 



350 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. He would know what he signed ? 

A. Yes, sir, most of them — a good many of them could read and 
write. 

Q. What name were in the order ? 

A. His name was in the order — I could not think of all the 
names. 

Q. Have you known any instance of any man's being deceived 
as to the amount of his bounty, and cheated out of it in that way ? 

A. I cannot say. I know what a man told me, and that's all. He 
swore he gave an order for f 10, and when he came to pay it, it was 
fifty dollars. 

Q. What is his name ? 

A. This man — 'his own son saw the order — he has been with the 

regiment. It Avas at the time that Co. L or M . He said 

when the order was wrote, there was a very fine ten put in, and 
then, afterwards, it was altered to fifty. 

Q. Who was that order in favor of? 

A. Well, I could not say ; Mr. Adams told me, down here with 
the Quartermaster General. 

Q. The man, himself, did not tell you ? 

A. No, the man did not, he was down there, and his son told him 
of this. " I thought it was rather rough," he said. One man was 
crying ; I believe he told the colored preacher he tried to get some- 
body to take his -$25 and carry it up to him, and make him a present. 
He migrht as well take the whole — that was all there was left. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Have you any information from your own 
direct knowledge ? That is the most important ? 

A. I will give you these names : Mercer, is in camp. Green- 
borough, is in Co. L. A. B. Conrad, the man there who bought a 
watch. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. When do you understand that this battal- 
ion will move ? 

A. We expect the transport every day. The Quartermaster told 
me he expected it. It will, probably, be here Monday or Tuesday, I 
should think. James Birch is a man who has been in the office of 
Major Engley. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Do you know of any traders of this city 
that have been told by any of the State authorities, not to sell goods 
to these men ? 

A. Well, Mr. Charles Bowen, down here, — the Allotment Com- 
missioner, — Mr. Bowen told me, one morning as I came over to the 
hall — I used to come in and get a key to go out back — I came over 
one morning and got the key of Mr. Bowen, and he says to me, says 
he, " I have been stopped from sending goods on to Dutch Island." 
" You have, says I, " how's that ?" He says, " Col. Smith has called 
here and ordered me to stop them ;" " and," said he, " I and he had 
a hell of a row about it." He told me that Smith told Bowen that 
he had guaranteed about forty dozen of those shirts; that is, the firm 
of Bowen & Clarke. His name is Charles W. Bowen. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 351 

Q. Guaranteed for what shirts ? 

A. Forty dozen shirts that Mr. Barnaby had sent somewhere and 
got, for the benefit of the battalion. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Can you state what is the largest amount 
of clothing you have known any soldier to buy ? 

A. There is a man in the second battalion, I believe, who drew 
$94 worth of shirts. 

Q. By the Chairman. How many shirts did he get for $94 ? 

A. I don't know, I believe they were $11 a pair. 

Q. Flannel shirts ? 

A. Such as the sutler used to sell for $6 a pair. 

Q. Of the same quality? 

A. Yes, sir; full as good shirts as they were selling at $11 per pair. 

Q. The Allotment Commissioner did not have to guarantee the 
sutler, did he ? 

A. Oh, no, the sutler was shut up there once by order of Colonel 
Smith. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. By order of Colonel Smith ? 

A. It appears as though the Colonel (Viall} did not find the 
Governor had given the order. 

Q. Were traders and other sutlers shut up ? 

A. Yes, sir ; he could not sell. Col. Smith had guaranteed on 
them and wanted them to be sold. 

Q. How do you understand that Col. Smith guaranteed this? 

A. I understood that he was to guarantee forty dozen of these 
shirts — that's the way I understand it. 

Q. How did Col. Smith insure himself? 

A. I do not know ; I cannot suppose. A man could draw any 
quantity of stuff, and all he has to do is to take his name on a piece 
of paper, and they charged the man, and they got their pay of the 
Paymaster. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Then they did not give orders at that 
time ? 

A. No, they did not give orders the same as the sutler ; you only 
have to have a good black face, and if it is not beyond $3Q0, you can 
have all the boots and shoes you can buy. The sutler could not get 
an order — selling at one-quarter prices. Gloves at a dollar a pair 
were sold by them. 

Q. What kind of gloves ? 

A. Well, cotton gloves, such as the sutler was selling at a quarter 
of a dollar. 

Q. What was a fair price for the gloves the sutler sold ? 

A. Quarter of a dollar. 

Q. White cotton gloves ? 

A. White cotton gloves, such as the soldiers wear. 

Q. Who sold white cotton gloves for a dollar ? 

A. Barnaby. 

Q. Col. Smith guaranteed the payment ? 

A. Of course, that is, with shirts — go in there and take all you 



352 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

want, the bounty is good for it. Capt. Gorton has been down there 
a good deal. He has seen a great many things sold by them. 

Q. Did these men receive any orders to purchase these things ? 

A. Well, I guess if the second battalion — if these men ever came 
on when the second battalion had been there, they would have shot 
them all. There was considerable dissatisfaction. 

Q. By the Chairman. Do you know whether these men were 
informed that they were required to buy, by their officers, to purchase 
these goods ? 
• A. They were not required as I have understood it. 

Q. Do you know whether it was so represented to them to induce 
these men to buy goods of Barnaby, and the others ? 

A. I do not think they were. N(», sir. 

Q. I did not ask whether they were required, but whether it was 
so represented ? 

A. No, I don't know as I do. These officers, as a general thing, 
have been against Barnaby. When I was with the second battalion, 
one man took $94 worth. I believe others had $50 worth. 

TESTIMONY OF ROBERT FESSENDEN. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Q. State your name and residence ? 

A, Robert Fessenden, Valley Falls, Rhode Island. 

Q. You have been engaged in the recruiting business for the 14th 
Regiment ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When did you commence ? 

A. On the 16th day of September. I left Providence on the 
night of the 16th. 

Q. By whom were you appointed ? 

A. I was not appointed by any one, I was employed by F. M. 
Balou, as an assistant. 

Q. Where did you commence operations ? 

A, In Poughkeepsie, New York. 

Q. Did you have any other agents associated with you ? 

A. Two colored men by the names of Charles Allen and Wni. 
Ladd, and a man by the name of Wynkoop, his first name I can't 
remember. 

Q, Were these men employed by you or Ballou? 

A. Ballou forwarded them to me as assistants. 

Q. Did you work by the day ? 

A. I enlisted ten men for $300 bounty and took the $10 head- 
money — my expenses were $43." They received $300, every man of 
them so far as I know, up to the 26th. 

Q. Where did you find these men ? 

A. In Poughkeepsie, New York. 

Q. Where did you leave them ? 

A. At F. M. B'allou's office, in New York. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 853 

Q. Where did you go next? 

A. I next had an interview with Major Engley, in his office in 
Providence, on the the 27th day of September. I said to him, that I 
had been to work for Ballon some ten days, and had made but twelve 
or fifteen dollars ; that is, we were to share the profits, and I asked 
him then, if we could do any better. He said to me, you had better 
try the western part of the country, for instance, Cincinnati, and de- 
duct from the bounties, as the expenses will be $25. If you can ar- 
range military rates, $17.75, and whatever men you get, I will share 
with you the profits. If there are many men that you obtain, that 
don't pass, and we have to forward them back, send them back, and 
we will share that expense — of course to be deducted from the gross 
profits. I left the city on the 29th of September. I arrived in New 
York, and left for Cincinnati on the 2d of October, and went to Lex- 
ington, Kentucky on 7th day of Oct., and after getting twenty men to 
enlist — to agree to go with me, was stopped by the Provost Marshal. 
On the 13th I left Cincinnati, and arrived at Providence on the 15th 
day of October, and Major Engley refused to pay for my expenses as 
he agreed to, so that I was $75 out of pocket. 

Q. How many men did you obtain ? 

A. I obtained no men. The Provost Marshal stopped me, and 
that prevented me getting home the men, because Burnside was build- 
ing a Railroad in Kentucky, one hundred miles long, from Nicholas- 
ville to Knoxville, and he had an Assistant Adjutant General at the 
front, and one at Cincinnati, Major Addison, who give me a carte 
blanche to go where I pleased. Captain I, of the 7th regiment had 
received orders to impress all colored men for this service ; and as soon 
as the Adjutant General at Cincinnati heard the news, he stopped them 
all, and prohibited bringing men from that department, as every con- 
traband was needed for bringing the road from Nicholsville, one thou- 
sand men to every mile. So that prevented me from getting my men, 
and made me $75 out. I should have got thirty-five to forty men. 
I had men already to go the morning I left Lexington. The men had 
agreed to come with me for $250 each, as per Major Engley's in- 
structions. There was no difficulty at all in getting men. The ex- 
penses from Lexington to Cincinnati were $3, and I had made arrange- 
ments with the agent of Pennsylvania Central Railroad to furnish 
transportation at $17.75 from Cincinnati to Rhode Island, and I should 
have got $50 for every man I brought here. 

Q. Did you go back ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you been in the business at all since that? 

A. Yes, sir ; I was going on to tell. October 20th, I went to 
Wilmington, Del., and found there, that, through a mistake, Capt. 
Ballon had a man there by the name of Aldrich, and I stopped there 
from the 20th to the 29th, without knowing there was an agent there 
and without obtaining a man. He was enlisting men for $250. I 
came back again, and November 5th I went to Baltimore and obtained 
three men — four men that I enlisted for $250 apiece, which would 

45 



354 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

be $50 profit, deducting expenses. My expenses for the trip were 
$49,39. The gross profit provided 'all passed. I had to pay one 
man's expenses back to Baltimore, making the gross expenses about 
$65, against $200 gross profit. Each man was enlisted with the un- 
derstanding that he was to enlist in the 14th Regiment R. I. H. A., 
and that he was to have $250 bounty. 

Q. Did he understand what the State bounty was ? 

A. Yes, sir. The $50 were to be deducted for expenses incurred 
in transportation. They said that $300 was $270 more than they 
were getting in their own State, or Washington, D. C. I got each 
man at a State bounty of $300, and told them I should be obliged to 
deduct $50 to pay expense of transportation and subsistence, and, in 
case they did not pass, to pay their expenses back, and with that they 
were perfectly satisfied with $250. I could give you the names of 
each man, as they were endorsed on the back of the order. I ob- 
tained the order from C. C. Felton, President of the Wilmington 
and Baltimore Railroad to Mr. Crawford, of Baltimore, to furnish the 
transportation. The names were Wm. Young, James Baldwin, Wm. 
Fisher, Lewis Smith. 

Q. Did you settle with them, and did you get the bounty ? 

A. That is something I never had any thiag to do with. After 
the first trip that I took for Engley, and he refused to pay me the $75, 
I never have had any thing to do with him. I quit him as a scoun- 
drel. Ballon was never in connection with Engley, any more than 
that Capt. Ballon was the first man who started it, and Major Engley, 
who entered the business as State aojent for recruitinii, in the Rhode Isl- 
and Heavy Artillery. I know nothing about it. If he was in com- 
pany with him, it was diamond cut diamond. Capt. Ballon came 
home with the 12th regiment, and made a statement tn the Governor 
that a certain number of colored men might be obtained in Kentucky 
to count as part of the quota of this State. The authority was imme- 
diately issued to organize a company of Heavy Artillery — colored men. 
Capt. Ballon went on to New York, and Major Engley, who was clerk 
for Major Sanford, received authority to go to New York, and see if 
he could not do something. He went, and the same week that he 
secured three. Captain Ballou obtained forty-seven. Then they saw 
that Captain Ballou's capability for recruiting colored men, was so 
much superior to their own, they kept him in that position, and that is 
all that kept Ballou in that position to the time he left. 

Q. Did you in any instance, pay any money to the masters of 
any slaves ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You would be likely to know it ? 

A. I was in Baltimore, in a State exempted I beHeve in the Presi- 
dent's Proclamation of the 1st January, 1863, and I recruited men in 
Baltimore. This very man that I told you of, James Baldwin. I 
will tell you the circumstance. I never made a cent out of the 
business. I will confess every thing I have done in it. James 
Baldwin came to me at a restaurant of Richard Burkes, corner of 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 355 

North and Fleet streets, in company with another man that I had to 
assist in recruiting, a man living in this city. Johnston stated the 

case, that James Baldwin was a slave, owned by a man out of , 

twenty-two miles from Baltimore city, that the slave came in with 
an old man also a slave, on a load of hay, that he ran away from the 
old man and came to the restaurant. He came to another man on 
Saratoga street, and wanted to go into the army if possible. I said to 
him that I could take him on Rhode Island if he wished, and I put 
him down to this same man. I have forgotten his name. I could re- 
member I suppose to-morrow. After he had been there twenty-four 
hours I furnished him transportation, furnished his name to Mr. 
Ciawford, took him and the agent who recruits, and whose name is 
in the books with an order of Major Sanford and forwarded him to 
Rhode Island. I do not know whether he (agent), is a runaway 
slave or not. I neither know nor care. 

Q. Do you know of an instance where money was left you ? 

A. This James Smith and Lewis Fisher. I was in Baltimore on 
the 20th of October, and went to the residence of William Fisher 
and ascertained that he had received $50 of his $75 bounty money, 
and had forwarded it to his wife. 

Q. What is the actual expense of getting a man from Kentucky 
here ? 

A. The actual transportation ? it would take forty-eight hours to 
bring them here, or two days travelling night and day. The expen- 
ses of transportation, $19,75 for fare in the cars right through to 
New York — to Providence. Then, there Avould be in two days, 
about four meals, because you could not make stoppages and get meals 
any oftener. Full fare is $25 from Cincinnati ; I paid that for my 
own fare on : then the expense of four meals at the railroad stations — 
the only place you could get them — $2 more, making $27. 

Q. If you had succeeded in getting these men through ? 

A. If I had forty men at $250, it would have been $2000 of 
course, gross profit ; half of that, not quite half, because I should 
have got them through at $19,75, which would make $21,75, and 
one out of four didn't pass ; one-fifth would have to be deducted for 
gross expenses. 

Q. Do you think more men could have been obtained if you had 
recruited them and deducted less ? 

A. I do not think there could at that time — the State would not 
have allowed it at that time. 

Q. Afterwards it 

A. I recruited up to the 25th of December. All my recruiting 
was done for F. M. Ballou. On the 12th of December, I started for 
Washington, and kept two men at Baltimore. I paid for five men 
on the 28th of December, $200, $40 apiece ; I paid to a man named 
Richard Colson, of Baltimore, I paid him the cash the way I bought 
them. 

Q. They were delivered in New York? 

A. They were delivered in Washington city. I worked two 



356 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

months at $3 a day and my expenses. I bought the men of Richard 
Colson. They were men brought by him from Virginia. Some 
came from Norfolk, and some from still farther south. He was 
obliged to pay their expenses from Norfolk, ($5,) and pay their 
board a day or two, and I paid him $40 apiece. He was obliged to go 
down and get them. They went to Rhode Island. I delivered them 
to Ballon. I don't know anything about where they went to, except 
to Rhode Island. 

The Committee adjourned until Thursday, Feb. 18th, at 2 o'clock. 

' TESTIMONY OF HON. WM. P. SHEFFIELD. 

[Examined by Chairman.] 

Q. Have you any knowledge of any frauds that have been prac- 
ticed upon enlisted men in this State other than that which you have 
already laid before the House of Representatives. 

A. I have no personal knowledge of any frauds having been prac- 
ticed upon any man that has been recruited into the military service 
of the United States from this State. 

Q. Have you in your possession any documents or proofs of such 
frauds. 

A. I have within my control, not within my possession, one paper 
only in relation to the recruiting of men — that I remember of — in 
this State, and that I have shown to one or two members of the Com- 
mittee ; I don't know which, I have shown it to Mr. Thomas. I 
have also — within my control not in my personal possession now, it is at 
my room, a paper which is not signed, and it is I suppose a statement of 
evidence which has been before this Committee — a statement of the 
evidence of a witness who has been examined before this committee 
— or rather whom I am informed has been examined before this com- 
mittee. 

Q. Did you say you have that in your possession ? 

A. I have it in my control. 

Q. Will you furnish it to the committee ? 

A. I have no objection to doing so. 

Q. And this other document of which you speak ? 

A. I will show it to you any day when you want it. 

Q. Will you furnish it to the committee ? 

A. It is an order from Luke Chace to Colonel Viall, and a state- 
ment of Colonel Viall upon the back of that order. I suppose that 
Col. Viall wants the original papers ; but I will furnish it to the com- 
mittee with the understanding that I am to have the original papers 
on leaving copies. I will furnish the paper or a copy of it to the 
committee. I do not want to with-hold any thing in my possession. 
I will say that I became acquainted with Col. Viall in Washington. 
I was at his tent, I should say, repeatedly. I don't know how many 
times. My relations with him were such, that I should think he 
would feel free to call upon me for any thing that I could reasonably 
do for him, at any time or in any place. He came to my house a 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 357 

week ago last Saturday in Newport ; we had some conversation which 
was introductory and which appertained to a personal matter, which I 
need not refer to. He stated that he desired to do what he could for his 
command ; that he had the best of feelings for Gov. Smith, and no dispo- 
sition to do any thing which would injure him ; but he felt that it was his 
duty to his command to do what he could to expose the frauds which had 
been committed upon them, and he thought that Govern Smith would 
take no exception to his doing what he could to this end — and I thought 
so too — and he deemed it his duty to make statements in reference to 
these frauds, which had been committed by the recruiting officers, and 
he thought that when they came to the knowledge of Governor 
Smith, he would at once dismiss them. I remarked to Col. Viall that 
if there was any thing that he would put in writing, I would see that 
it was used for the purpose he designed, and would see to bringing it 
to the attention of the General Assembly. He said to me that he 
had statements of the men then made out, and I told him to send 
them up and give a statement of his own, and I would see that it was 
put into the proper train. I believe that was the substance of the 
conversation. On Friday morning last I received these papers from 
the hands of a person whom I supposed to be the Chaplain of the 
regiment, and presented most of them to the House that morning. 
The Colonel went into some matters between Luke (Uiace and him- 
self. 

Q. You are Counsel for Colonel Viall ? 

A. I am not. I stated to him I wonld be if he desired it at any 
time ; I told him I would do any thing I could. I told him I would be 
his Counsel ; but I did not understand that I received these papers for 
that matter. I understood that they were received for the purpose of 
investigating these frauds. He told me that Col. Van Slyck was his 
Counsel. He expressed a very great desire to do what he could for 
the good of his command, and he wanted these frauds thoroughly in- 
vestigated, and the matter sifted out ; he expressed a great interest in 
this. 

Q. These were not put into your hands as his Counsel, to inform 
you of the nature of his defence and the action ? — 

A. I did not understand it so. He stated to me then, that Col. 
Van Slyck was his Counsel, and I said then you do not need my help. 
If you do, I think I said, you shall haA^e my services without money 
any without price. I have a great regard for Col. Viall, and I was 
ready to assist him — to volunteer in the matter. 

Q". Did you notice the date of the letter ? (Dec. 27, 1863) ? 

A. I did not look at it at the time. Col. Viall showed me his 
memorandum book afterwards and told me that the letter bore the 
date of some memorandum in his book. This letter was furnished to 
me on Friday morning. 

Q. Was that the source from which you received all of these docu- 
ments which you have offered to the House ? 

A. I think I received one of them from Col. Viall — the deposi- 
tion of Howard, I think I received that from Col. Viall himself. I 



358 REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

don't know how that is. I think he handed it to me himself, but I 
am not sure. If he did hand it to me, I received it on Friday at that 
interview. But certainly I did not receive those papers as Counsel. 
The purpose I received them for, was for the purpose of aiding in the 
investigation of these frauds that had been committed upon his com- 
mand, and my only delicacy in not bringing that paper (the Chace 
letter) before the House at all, or before the committee, was because 
it referred to a matter in which I might be Counsel hereafter, and that 
it was not proper to bring the matter in that paper before the House, 
and then it referred to the matter of Col. Bailey's order to Luke 
Chace, and I thought I was not necessary to bring Col. Bailey into the 
matter. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. I ask you why, in receiving these papers 
for the purpose of investigating these frauds, did you think it proper 
to present these papers to the House, rather than to this committee? 

A. I did so, for the reason, I will give. I had heard the committee 
complained of, and if people thought I had these papers in my hands, 
they would say on the one hand that I wished to thrust at somebody in 
the dark, and would do secretly, what I would not do openly. On the 
other hand it would be said — and I should subject myself to the imputa- 
tion of the want of courage, to bring the matter to the public, and still 
further I thought it a more proper way — to bring the papers regularly 
before the House, and to have them referred to the committee by the 
House. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Then, if any member of the House should 
have a deposition put into his hands upon this subject, you think in- 
stead of handing it to the committee, it should be presented to the 
House ? 

A. If it was proper to present the deposition at all, in my judg- 
ment, it would be proper to present it to the House, and have it refer- 
red to the committee by order of the House. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Then I ask, if you think it the best way to 
give publicity to these matters in this way ? 

A. That would be a mere matter of opinion, and perhaps I am 
not an expert competent to testify upon such a subject. 

TESTIMONY OF JAMES A. BOWEN. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Question. Where do you reside ? 

Answer. North Providence. 

Q. Have you been engaged in the recruiting business for the 14th 
regiment. 

A. I have picked up men in diiferent States for this regiment. 

Q. How long a time were you engaged, when did you commence, 
and when did you cease operations ? 

A. I commenced in November I think. I had been in the recruit- 
ing service ever since July, and at that time I commenced recruiting 
for the colored regiment. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 359 

Q. About what time were you appointed or employed in this 
business ? ^ 

A. I went in one way, on my own responsibility. I was recruit- 
ing on the Park, had a tent there, and was recruiting for the 3d Cav- 
alry. Mr. Hill came to me and advised me to engage in recruiting 
for the 14th regiment. On his representation I went with him. It 
seems he had made an arrangement with Major Sanford in which we 
were to get men in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and bring them 
here, and we were to receive the $10 per man, paid by the State and 
$25 that they were allowed to deduct from the bounty of the recruits 
and Engley would see that that was collected by his receiving one 
third of the profits. 

Q. He took one third of the profits? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who paid the expenses, and who took the responsibility ? 

A. He was to assume one third of the responsibility. Well, we 
went after some men. 

Q. It was a partnership then ? 

A. As I understood it. Recollect I had not seen Engley or San- 
ford. The arrangement was made with Sanford. I am apt to mix 
Engley with Sanford. 

Q. Was Sanford to deduct one-third the profits ? 

A. Engley was to do the business and take on third. Whether 
Sanford had a share I do not know. We were to look to Engley. 

Q. What did you understand about it. Was it Engley or San- 
ford ? 

A. I understood it was to be Sanford ; but it seemed afterwards 
it was to be Engley. I did not know Engley at the time. Hill did 
not know him in the transaction ; we made the arrangement with 
Sanford. I am telling you what I understood. This is second 
hand. We went after some men and were gone some weeks. We 
went to Philadelphia and came back. We stayed at Philadelphia a 
while, and then Hill went to Trenton and succeeded in getting nine 
men. »We brought the men here and did not take orders from the 
men for $25. I think in that first lot we took orders by the men for 
$12, and received $10 head-money. 

Q. Why did you not take the $25 ? 

A. We could not make the arrangement with the men. The 
men thought that it was too much. As I understand it Engley kept 
one third of that money, making no allowance for expenses. 

Q. He kept one-third of the gross proceeds ? 

A. Yes, sir. I came on from Philadelphia, after some time, leav- 
ing Hill. I was dissatisfied with the arrangement Individually I did 
not know Engley ; but Sanford I knew, and took my men to camp, 
and proposed to put them in, in my name. Then I understood that 
Sanford had an arrangement by which I could not collect this money, 
without his partner's doing the business. I went to the Governor to 
see if I could have it so arranged that the orders for the men I re- 
cruited, could be cashed without the money being paid to Major Eng- 



360 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

ley. I could not see the Governor, but I saw the clerk Col. Bailey, 
who did his business, who told rne he thought I could make such an 
arrangement, and he would see the Governor. The next day I went 
there, and he refiised to make the arrangement because he thought 
it would take too much trouble. He said he placed the whole ar- 
rangements for recruiting in Major Sanford's hands, which was per- 
fectly satisfactory, and that I should have to report to Sanford and do 
the recruiting through Sanford. Then I talked with Sanford and we 
had an understanding, yet it was not really a contract — that Engley 
was to cash our orders. Hill's and myself, or cause them to be cashed, 
and he would retain the $10. If I brought ten men at $25 each, 
Engley kept the recruiting fee of $10, he gives me $25. Engley got 
$100 for my transaction. 

Q. Engley cashed the orders ? 

A. I took the cu'ders to him and he cashod them. He can get 
them cashed in five minutes. I think in the lot I refer to first there 
were eleven men— -two rejected. 

Q. What of the $2 government bounty ? 

A. He got that — $12 per head. I may as well state that he got 
$10 apiece for all the men who were sent by them who have gone 
out for him. He has either been in partnership with them as I have 
done or else he has kept the $10 for the trouble of cashing the orders 
as I understood. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. It was an easy matter to get an arrange- 
ment provided, he could have the $10. 

A.- I tried again and again to get the $10. I thought it unjust. 
I asked Engley why be did not cash my orders. He said because 
Major Sanford did not instruct him to. I took them to Major San- 
ford and he had the audacity to refer me to the Paymaster. I asked 
the Paymaster and he said it was necessary to get Sanford's approval. 

Q. The great objection was that he could not keep the accounts ? 

A. That was the stated objection ? Probably the objection was 
that they would not get so man}' $10. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. But they got more than $10 in some cases ? 

A. Yes, sir, they got what they could swindle the men out of. 
When I made the seond arrangement, Sanford took the $10 and on 
the other arrangement — 

Q. Before that he had one-third of the profits ? 

A. Yes, sir, Engley, I mean — 

Q. Did betake it, when the arrangement was for one-third of the 
profits ? 

A. One third of it. I think there was only one lot brought. 

Q. Under this second arrangement with Sanford how many did 
you send in ? 

A. I think I brought thirty men. I mean Hill and myself ? 

Q. They were to pay transportation to New York ? 

A. They were to take the $10 and pay transportation from New 
York, afterwards they made me pay it. 

Q, By Mr. Blake. Did they charge you any transportation? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 361 

A. Yes, sir ; every cent of transportation, when they found that 
our State did not pay it. 

Q. Did they furnish any subsistence money for these men that 
you recruited ? 

A. Yes. 

Q. When men were recruited by you, were they correctly in- 
formed as to the amount of the State bounty ? 

A. Every man I ever brought to Rhode Island — that was sent to 
Rhode Island — understood everything as thoroughly as I could ex- 
plain it to him, 

Q. No man was deceived by you, or by any person in your 
employ, to your knowledge ? 

A. To my knowledge there was not. 

Q. After the men arrived here, did you ever know of any dif- 
ferent contract made with them by Engley ? 

A. No ; I had some men come here that had $2b more deducted 
out of their bounty than they thought they should have ; but Engley 
did not make any contract with them. 

Q. How did he do that ? 

A. Changed their orders to -$50. 

Q. Do you know whether these orders were paid by the Pay- 
master ? 

A. I think they were. They were put on Engley's books as 
being paid. 

Q. They were signed by the men ? 

A. It was done by Engley, without the knowledge of the men. 
This lot was eight men recruited in Philadelphia. He (Turner) 
brought these men — brought them to Engley's office — Engley con- 
nived with him, (with Turner,) who brought them. The original 
order that Turner made out, Turner told me, was made in Philadel- 
phia, for $25. He told me that he told him they were all mine — I 
don't say he told him so — he told me that he did. 

Q. Do you know if there were several orders on one sheet? 

A. That, I could not say. Turner brought these men here for 
me. I was to receive $25 apiece. Engley paid him $25 apiece, and 
told him to go off and get some more. Engley has since refused me 
any compensation. I was interested in the men. I went to camp, 
and I learned that every order was for $25. They had signed orders 
for $25, and expected to receive $275. I knew the orders had gone 
in against them for $50, and they received $250 instead of $275. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. What was the reason you could not draw 
the $25 ? 

A. Because the men had made their orders out to Turner, and 
Engley had paid them. There those orders were, and he had paid Tur- 
ner for my men and Turner did not pay it to me. Engley tampered 
with Turner, or some of Engley's agents. It was down in the office. 
Turner came here in good faith. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. It may be said that you lost through Tur- 
ner, your agent ? 

46 



362 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. Through Engley, by whom Turner had been tampered with. 

Q. Have you the names of these eight men ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I wish you would furnish them ? 

A. Letter, Nov. 10th '63. Brought by Turner, for Hill, Brown 
& Co., William F. Robinson, Henry Thomas, John H. Price, Wil- 
liam Jones, Wilham George, Ralph Sears, John Thomas, Charles 
Thomas. These, probably, came from Salem, Ncav Jersey. What 
drew my attention to this was, that I was looking on Engley's books, 
and I found that orders against these men had been made out for f 50 
on his books, and then I asked the clerk, and he said the orders were 
made out, and then I asked the men, and they said they had no such 
orders ; and then after I told the men that they were made out at $50, 
they persisted that they were not, but at $25. I afterwards asked the 
men, and they said they never received what they agreed for ; and 
some intelligent ones, in the presence of a commissioned officer of the 
regiment, Lieutenant Aldrich. 

Q. Did you sell any watches to the men ? 

A. Did I ? no, sir ; since they have been mustered into the 
service. 

Q. Nor here in the office ? 

A. Occasionally, the men I brought with me, bought a watch. 

Q. How did they pay for the watches ? 

A. They gave me an order on their bounty. 

Q. Have these orders been paid by the Paymaster ? 

A. I don't know ; they were cashed by Major Engley to me. 

Q. All that passed through Major Engley ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did Major Engley share the profits of these watches? 

A. No ; the understanding with Major Engley was, if these men 
were mustered out, deserted or died, I should be responsible ; so that 
I ran some risks. 

Q. What were the prices of the watches ? 

A. $20, $25 and $30, according to the quality. Most of those I 
sold were good grained watches — silver watches — watches that gen- 
erally retail for $22 to $25. If these men, for any reason, should be 
rejected, I must lose — the order would be good for nothing. 

Q. These men that you sold watches to could have told the time 
of day by the watches ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I warranted every watch I sold. I never had but 
two watches come back to me and I satisfied those men. I might as 
well say that Major Engley refused to accept orders for $25 after that. 
He told me that orders must be for $50, because it created dissatis- 
faction among the men. Others had $50 taken out, and mnie were 
recruited for $25. 

Q. Among the agents you mean ? 

A. Yes, sir ; among the agents, and among the men too. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 363 

(The Committee met at the committee room of the House of Representatives, on 
the fourth day, February 11th, and on the fifth day, Friday, February 12th, at the 
State Auditor's office, and in each instance adjourned after brief sessions. On the 
sixth day, Colonel Viall appeared before the Committee, Monday, February 15th.) 

TESTIMONY OF JOHN ANGELL. 
[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Tuesday, February 16th, 1864. 

Q. Where do you reside ? 

A. I suppose that a man's residence is generally claimed to be 
where his wife is ; North Providence. I was born in Smithfield, but 
that has been my home most of the time within a year or two. 

Q. You call your residence North Providence ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I suppose that is what would be claimed, although I 
never voted there. 

Q. Have you been, during the last year, in any way connected 
with the recruiting business ? If so, state how ? 

A. I have furnished men. I have been off in different States 
and districts, forwarding men to recruiting officers here ; I don't 
know what you call them. 

Q. At what time did you commence ? 

A. It was about the first of October, I cannot remember exactly, 
although I have a book at home which will show the exact date ; not 
far from the first of October. 

Q. For what regiment have you been recruiting? 

A. For the 14th R. I. H. A. principally. 

Q. Have you done anything for any other regiment ? 

A. Oh, yes ; in other States. 

Q. None in this State ? 

A. None in this State that I know of. That was the story I told 
the men, and that was purported to me to be the case — the 14th. 

Q. You have been at the same time recruiting for regiments in 
other States ? 

A. That, I was not aware of. I think after I commenced sending 
men that were turned into Connecticut, I did nothing for Rhode 
Island ; with that part of it I had nothing to do. 

Q. They were all colored men? 

A. Yes, sir ; for this State. 

Q. State in what capacity you, worked, and by whom employed ? 

A. I made a bargain with Captain Ballou ; I was at work for 
him. 

Q. Francisco M. Ballou ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What was the arrangement between you and Captain Ballou ? 

A. I was paid so much per day and expenses. 

Q. Beginning now, as well as you can recollect, at the beginning, 
state where you commenced operations ? 

A. What do I understand by that ? where I got the first lot of 
men, or the manner in which I came to engage with him? 

Q. You may state the latter first if you please. 



364 REPOBT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. I was conductor on the Third Avenue Railroad, New York, 
and Captain Ballon and a nephew of mine came on board my car 
and introduced the subject. I have forgotten whether on that or the 
next day, I got a short furlough and went to his office, and he said 
what he wished, and told me his business. He also stated that he 
understood I was pretty well acquainted with a good district in Penn- 
sylvania and Maryland for this business, and he stated that he wished 
to make some arrangements with me to go, and we very soon made a 
bargain. I started, I think, the day after this was arranged with him, 
and went by the road to Harrisburg, Chambersburg, Greencastle, 
Hagerstown, Williamsport and Martinsburg. That was my first 
journey out. I picked up 

Q. Where did you find the first man you recruited? 

A. The first man I found between Martinsburg and Charlestown, 
in the State of Virginia. 

Q. What description of men were they ? 

A. Well, quite a number of them were slaves at the time I found 
them ; but we made out their free papers for them very quick. 

Q. About how many men did you find there ? 

A. The first I found in Virginia ; I forgot whether it was ten or 
eleven. I brought no men with me. I made arrangements with 
them, and found them on the other side of the river, and wfien we 
got to Chambersburg we received an addition there of contrabands of 
earlier date, of some who came to Pennsylvania on the raid before. 
I think when I left Chambersburg I had seventeen. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. What did you mean by making out free 
papers ? Did you do anything more than get them out of the State ? 

A. I did not make any arrangement with their owners, I drew 
up no contract until I got into Pennsylvania. 

Q. What was the arrangement you made with these you got ? 

A. Those I got from Virginia, they agreed to sign papers to enlist 
in the Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, upon the receipt of $100 
bounty ; the rest of their bounty to go to certain parties in the State 
who engaged to take them. 

Q. Did these men understand this State's bounty ? 

A. Yes, sir ; it was all explained — f 300 for those who enlisted 
here. They would probably, also, have a full statement to them in 
every respect. The men who enlisted in Harrisburg, Chambersburg 
and other places, I stated to them that they should have $300 minus 
their expenses. 

Q. He gave more in Virginia ? 

A. This whole matter was left optional with me. I found other 
States in competition. Massachusetts men were there, and Maryland 
men. The most I found the Maryland men were giving was $100, 
and I adopted their plan ; but in Pennsylvania, I always told them 
that they could have $300 minus their expenses. 

Q. JDid you encounter the agents of Massachusetts in Virginia ? 

A. I encountered none in Virginia. They did not work in Vir- 
ginia. As I was saying, they adopted a safer plan than I did, as far 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 365 

as personal safety was concerned. They would go as far as ^Wil- 
liamsport, some of them, and some as far as Greencastle, and get a 
couple of colored men to go across ; instead of that I went across. 

Q. Were these Massachusetts agents paid, did you understand ? 

A. I did not understand at that time. I have had an inkling of 
it since. 

Q. If you know what the system was, I would like to have you 
state ? 

A. I don't know whether that is a fair shake or not. It was 
made me as an offer to go to work. If I must state, I will. If it is 
relevant to this case. 

Q. I don't wish you to state — to press the case. I ask because it 
may be important in this view of it. I wish to know how the system 
adopted in this State compares with that in other States, and whether 
for that reason you will state ? 

A. There is no injury to me. I do not wish to do injury to 
another party. I think the plan here is not quite as liberal in this 
State as others ; because, in other States they are giving bigger boun- 
ties, and offering greater inducements to agents. 

Q. Were the agents paid out of the bounties, did you under- 
stand ? 

A. In a measure they M^ere, not fully. The same plan was 
adopted in Massachusetts and (Connecticut, that was adopted in Rhode 
Island, excepting it was a little more liberal ; the bounties were larger 
and gave greater scope. 

Q. What is the reason they did not succeed as well in other 
States ? 

A. I don't see but they did. Connecticut has filled two regi- 
ments while we were filling one. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. I think you are mistaken about Connec- 
ticut ? 

A. She is on the second one, and I understand that is filled. 

Q. By the Chairman. Well, you got across the line with these 
men — helped them there, and entered into a contract of the descrip- 
tion you have named? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you say that in no instance were the men deceived in 
regard to the amount of bounty the State paid ? 

A. No, sir ; not one man that I ever recruited. It was with a 
fair understanding. I usually conversed with those who came into 
the room and stated the case. " Now if you are willing to go for 
that, here are the papers ready to sign ;" and I always called in" some 
competent person to witness the papers. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did you pay them any money there ? 

A. Never a man, excepting men at work for me. 

Q. By the Chairman. How about transportation ? 

A. I attended to the transportation. 

Q. When you say you paid them nothing — ? 

A. I mean I paid their expenses. I did not consider that paying 
them anything. 



366 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 



Q 



You paid their expenses from Chambersburg ? 



A. From wherever they were taken. 

Q. I am speaking now of this first batch of men ? 

A. I paid all the expenses from the place they left in Virginia. 
Q. Do you know how much expense ? 

A. Various sums. That would be hard to come at. 
Q. Estimate it as near as you can ? 

Q. By Mr. Blake. How much does it cost to send a man from 
Greencastle to Providence ? 

A. We can just as well come at it exactly as any way. I can 
tell you to New York. I never sent any here to Providence. From 
Greencastle to New York the bare fare is 17.30 per man. Then we al- 
lowed so much for meals. Whatever they wanted they furnished. 
Some parties that were with me came straight through, and would 
have little expense of meals. Others would get to Harrisburg just in 
time to lose the train, and to be detained a day. 

Q. Were these men accompanied by the agent ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I most usually came with them myself to Harris- 
burg. Very frequently we were detained, and had to pay board a 
week. The most that I ever did was to pay board for two weeks, 
lacking a day. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Have you heard, or do you know of any 
of these parties finding fault at the deduction from their bounty after 
they got here ? 

A. I never heard of such an instance. In fact, I know less of 
business here than any person. All the time they were mustering 
here I was away down in that country, and I knew nothing about 
things here. I know of one instance, of a contraband who came 
here, and left his mother and sister in Virginia. He soon got 
a furlough and brought home his money, and said he did not get the 
bounty he expected. I tried to find out what it was — it was a little 
less than $50 — and he stated that all the bounty he got was fSO, 
when he was to have a little better than $275 — $300 with expenses 
out, and he got the money. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. I don't see how he got it. I fancy no 
nian could get back unless he went to recruit ? 

A. Oh, yes, there were, whatever the case might be. I ascer- 
tained the next time I came on that he had received the $300 bounty, 
minus the expenses. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. I suppose these expenses were an order 
sent with the man ? 

A. That I cannot tell anything about. 

Q. By the Chairman. These first seventeen men enlisted for 
one hundred dolla: s ? 

A. Oh, no ; this same batch ; those that I got from Chambers- 
burg, were to receive $300 minus their expenses. Those that I got 
from Virginia $100 each. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. In sending those from Virginia to any 
destination, from Pennsylvania did you call them contrabands ? 

A. Yes, sir. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 367 

Q. By the Chairman. In crossing a river It made a difference ? 

A. Oh, certainly ; there was a great deal of risk in crossing the 
Potomac. 

Q. Were any of these men sent back that were not accepted ? 

A. Yes, sir ; out of the seventeen men brought on the first time, 
there were three rejected, and one of them, what you call suspended. 

Q. Three rejected, and what was done with them? 

A. I saw them after they got home. 

Q. Who paid their expenses back ? 

A. Captain Ballon. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Was this when Ballou was in company with 
Engley ? 

A. I cannot tell you when that was. 

Q. Did you know Engley in the business ? 

A, I did'nt know exactly what he was. I knew there was one 
here who attended to the mustering in, and being paid for it ; what 
position he held, I did not know until long after. I was employed by 
Capt. Ballou, and looked to him. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You did not send any men to Rhode Island ? 

A. No, sir, I sent them to New York. I did not send men any- 
where further than that. 

Q. Have you mentioned all the men you obtained in that region 
of country ? 

A. Oh, no. 

Q. About how many men did you find in that part of the 
country ? 

A. I could not tell in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania — I 
could not tell exactly, and I don't think I could if I had my book, for 
I don' t think they are in the book I have at present. 

Q. Is there any considerable number ? 

A. Yes, sir, quite a number. 

Q. Near what amount was the bounty that these men agreed to 
enlist for ? 

A. I always engaged them there at $300., with expenses out, ex- 
cepting men recruited in Virginia. 

Q. Was there any definite understanding with the men, as to how 
much the expenses were ? 

A. There was not ; that was arranged afterwards. I promised 
$300, with expenses out. 

Q. What was done afterwards, was done by other parties ? 

A. By other parties. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Can you in that connection tell how that 
party got paid ? 

A. I supposed from a fund, and that there has been a price estab- 
lished by the State — so much to a man. That part of it, I never had 
anything to do with, and never made inquiry. 

Q. But this fact you do know, which is very material to the en- 
quiry — that no man who enlisted was deceived as to the amount of 
bounty that he should be paid. 



368 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. No, sir, they never were. I never enlisted a man, but those 
I sent. 

Q. Were there many of the men that you sent forward, that were 
returned for any reason ? 

A. None but a few previously mentioned ; three or four were 
rejected out of the first seventeen ; in one other lot of seven, there 
were two rejected ; in another lot of ten, one was rejected here. 

Q. Where was he from ? 

A. He was an old contraband from Virginia. I think he was. 

Q. Was he sent back ? 

A. Yes, sir, sent back from here. 

Q. You don't know where he went to ? 

A. I never saw him afterward, and I lost four men in New York. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. They probably went to some of these 
States you said paid the best ? 

A. I do not know where they went to ; they probably went into 
the navy. We got into a melee at New York with the rabble. I 
lost four, and saved seven. Of that eleven, four were from Missis- 
sippi, three from Florida, two from North Carolina, and two from 
Richmond. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. How did you know, you have never been 
down there ? 

A. I was willing to take their word, because they had not been 
North long enough to learn to lie. Eleven smarter boys I never saw 
together, or better behaved. They seemed to be pretty well posted 
on the doings there in Florida. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Upon the scale you refer to, I do not see 
why you should not take all the bounty ? 

A. The further off, of course, the less they were paid. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. You say that in Pennsylvania, their expen- 
ses only were deducted, but if they crossed from Virginia, they had 
but flbO. 

A. I did not go to Mississippi for these men. I had a man there 
in Virginia after them, and bore his expenses and they were ample. 

Q. By the Chairman. Had any of these men any expenses but 
travel and subsistence ? There were your own expenses and services ? 

A. There was this ; you did not expect that when I went I should 
pick up every man myself. We employed men to work for us, just 
as men do in buying cattle, and we paid them so much ; some I paid 
so much a day. In some instances I have had a cart and a man on 
it, and in one case, the expenses were $9. Those were expenses. 

Q. Well, my questions would cover all those expenses — the ex- 
pense of agents, &c.; but I mean were there expenses such as buying 
the master's right to his slave — money to police officers — payment of 
money to other people beside those of your own agents ? 
A. Not as connected with the business, as I know of. 

Q. Were any of these men bought ? 

A. No ; I never paid money to their masters, from the fact, that 
I never could catch their masters in Pennsylvania. 



ON BOUNTY FKAUDS. 369 

Q. Did you not go into a slave State yourself? 

A. Oh, yes ; I went into Virginia and Maryland. 

Q. You did not encounter the owners of any slaves ? 

A. Oh, no, sir ; it was not them I was after. ' Doubtless, I en- 
countered a good many, but we did not hold much conversation with 
them. 

Q. I wanted to get at some idea of the expenses of the recruiting 
business ? 

A. You might just as well ask what were the expenses to go 
to New York and buy a lot of ship timber. You might find it one 
price at one time, and quite different at another. So here you might 
go out and find a lot of men ready to go right on, aild at another 
time you would have to wait two or three weeks. 

Q. I meant if there was payment of money to the master of a 
slave, payment to officials in order to get the man through ? 

A. I never had any payment of that kind to make. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. You never knew that any of these agents 
you employed to get the contrabands, paid anything to their masters ? 

A. I never knew that they did. I was never cognizant of it, 
and never suspected them of it. If they did it must have been a 
losing business. 

Q. Payment for the slaves would be a legitimate part of the ex- 
penses ? Did you go into Kentucky? 

A. I did not. 

Q. Illinois ? 

A. No, sir; only Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. 

Q. Can you state somewhere nearly the number of men you sent 
on to Ballou ? 

A. Well, I can think of lend me a pencil. In one mo- 
ment I can come someMJ^here near it. I can think of fifty-nine now. 

Q. Of these fifty-nine men, can you state pretty nearly how 
many were rejected and sent back ? 

A. Well, I do not think of but seven, and one of those, as I said 
was suspended, and that I do not know whether he passed in or not. 
I heard, on my next visit — I heard in New York when I sent the 
next lot, that he passed, that is, with these here. If he was sus- 
pended, allowing that he passed, that would leave six rejected. 

Q. These expenses of obtaining men and forwarding them to 
New York, were paid by you ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You kept an expense account with Ballou ? 

A. I kept an expense account. 

Q. (3an you give us the expenses ? 

A. That, I cannot give you now. I lost one of my books on one 
of my journeys, which I told you of, which contained all the names. 
I lost it, probably, in the cars. . That contained a part of my expense 
account up to that time. 

Q. You might tell the aggregate ? 

A. I could not tell it without my books. I could not make any 
statement. 

47 ' • 



370 REPORT or THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. At present you have no impression on your mind as to the 
aggregate ? 

A. Not the least. I could not come anywhere near it. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did it cost $25 a man? 

A. I should judge it did. 

Q. Suppose, Mr. Angell, that at leisure, you find out the amount ? 

A. I think I can give you the expenses from the time I began 
this book — from such a date, exact. 

Q. If you can do so, just do so ? 

A. I will send it to you by mail, or by Mr. Collins — I will send 
it by him. 

Q. Are you in the business now ? 

A. I am not, sir. I am on the sick list. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Why did you discontinue, you have stated 
how you commenced for this State? 

A. That, I never knew. I do not know when it was discontinued 
for this State. That I never knew anything about. I know as little 
about the matter in the State as a man can. The reason I came 
here, I came sick, or, doubtless, I should have been in that vicinity 
now — perhaps I should. I could tell you nothing about matters here. 
When I got men to New York, I considered them off mv hands. I 
never brought a man through to Providence. 

Q. You did not always come to New York yourself? 

A. No, sir ; I used to come sometimes. 

Q. After getting the men to New York, was there any extra ex- 
pense there ? 

A. Yes, sir, big. Well, towards the last we had to employ the 
police force to protect, in New York, the men and ourselves. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. You had to have a police force to take the 
men from the railroad depot to the office ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I suppose that was quite necessary where there was competi- 
tion. 

A. Once I got handled pretty roughly, but came out alive. 

Q. By the Chairman. In the operations of other, agents, have 
you any knowledge of any instance where the recruit was deceived 
as to the amount of bounty that the State paid. 

A. I never had any such knowledge, no, sir. 

Q. So far as your knowledge extends, did the agents at all times, 
and at all places, represent truly what bounty was paid ? 

A. Yes, sir, so far as I know ; I never thought of investigating 
that. Ther might have been deceiving all around me and I never 
knew, because with other agents I had little to do. 

Q. Can you tell how much other agents offered ? 

A. Their bounties seemed to be unlimited. I have known an 
agent for Massachusetts, pretending to be recruiting for a cavalry 
regiment, at the time we were offering $300, offering one man $550. 

Q. Do you know when it was to be paid ? 

A. I did not know any thing about it. I told them I thought it 
>yas a lie. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 371 

Q. Did they raise a colored cavalry regiment in Massachusetts ? 

A. I believe so. 

Q. Did you understand the man Avho paid these great bounties — 
whether it was a state or town bounty ? 

A. Why, he told the whole bounty they gave probably. 

Q. Mr. Angell, have you known of an}^ instance of men who 
have been forwarded to Providence and rejected here, and sent back 
as far as New York without any provision for their expenses ? 

A. Yes, sir, but I can give you but little information about it. I 
recollect men of whom it Avas told me that they were rejected here in 
Providence, who were furnished with funds to get back as far as New 
York, or a ticket, and no provision was made for their getting any 
farther. I recollect several instances. Who sent them back, or at 
whose expense, I cannot tell. That was something so out of my line 
of business, that I had no chance to know much about it. 

Q. That was Ballou's? 

A. These men were not his ; I have no instance in mind where Capt. 
Ballou had men that were rejected when he did not pay the fare back 
to where they came from. I never knew an instance. I recollect 
one instance in particular. I cannot tell the name or the date. I 
remember being in New York. I think I had been on home, or on 
the way back to Pennsylvania and Maryland, and finding a man at 
Ballou's, asked who it was, and he said it was a man rejected here 
and lived, I think, in Indiana, and was anxious to get home : and 
had nothing to get home with ; there had been no provision made. 
I never questioned further. I afterwards understood that Ballou saw 
him paid through. 

Q. When you engaged men to come you engaged to carry them 
back ? 

A. That was always in the agreement, that if they were rejected, 
their fare should be paid back. 

Q. That was the agreement. Was it in all cases carried out ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. As far as you had a personal connection with them ? 

A. Yes, sir; I always satisfied them. Three of those men that 
I said were rejected, were the most faithful workers I had, after I got 
back. 

Q. Did those men go back in uniform, those rejected men ? 

A. Go back in uniform ? no, sir. They don't get their uniform 
until after they are accepted. No, sir. I always felt considerably 
hurt. I maintain that those were three of the bulliest fellows as were 
ever sent on — those same rejected men. 

Q. Why were they rejected ? 

A. I never understood, and they never. I have not the least 
doubt, that if you take those men to-day to Boston, and they would 
pass without a word. They were three remarkably rugged men, and 
I never could understand why they were rejected. 

Q. Have you ever been present in Providence, at the examining 
surgeon's office to witness, or knp^ anything about the proceedings 
there ? 



372 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. Never ; I always adopted the plan of examining the men 
myself before I started. 

Q. Who was the examining surgeon here ? Dr. Gardiner ? 

A. I cannot tell. He used to be 

Q. He might reject men that had a fine external appearance. 
Did a part of the bounty get into his hands ? 

A. I took that view of it — I questioned these men at the time. 
They were without families and had no encumbrances — only just 
themselves, no one dependent upon them. One was a blacksmith, 
and would be called a good one even in New England. When I 
found they were sending men to Connecticut, I tried to get these 
men to go on, but they would not face it again. 

FURTHER TESTIMONY OF DR. JOHNSTON GARDINER. 
[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Thursday, February 25th, 1864. 

Q. Have you examined your books and papers any further since 
the time they were examined here ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Will you please to state what you have discovered with regard 
to this case of Howard ? 

A. When I was here I could not explain it satisfactorily to my 
own mind, how this thing could take place. Being satisfied that that 
was my signature, and I did not find any solution of it until the next 
morning. I was thinking of it while I was abed, and I thought, 
perhaps, if I should look on the other books I could find some clue, 
getting some names or persons there on that day. So when I got up 
I looked at the cavalry (artillery) book, or the white book, as we 
call it, and there I found this name, the name of David E. Howard. 

Q. Explain how you keep your books ? 

A. I keep — that is — what we call the colored regiment's books, 
and this man's name was not there. 

Q. How many books do you keep ? 

A. There are four now — only three for using. I keep one book 
for the colored regiment, and one for the artillery, and also a book 
for cavalry — that is not here. There were two men inspected that 
same day, I find on the (artillery) cavalry book. 

Q. And they are in the artillery ? 

A. Yes, sir ; quite a number. 

Q. Turn to your book and show us ? 

A. Here's the entry on the 19th — David E. Howard — you will 
see it is the same age and same occupation. 

Q. Whose hand-writing is this ? 

A. My son's hand-writing. He recollects the circumstance, and 
says there were two together. You will see that one of tnese men 
was rejected for varicose veins. He recollects these men coming to- 
gether. My son recollects it more perfectly. That was on the 19th, 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 373 

and when I was here last we had inspected all these down here, but 
I could not remember them. 

Q. What has become of this white man ? 

A. That is the question, where he is. I can have no other ex- 
planation — this man was sent there for that purpose, and it was 
designed. 

Q. Do you lecollect of examining this man, and of passing him 
under the name of David E. Howard ? 

A. Of course, I recollect those two men. I know for a certainty 
he is one of the men, and I must have called his name David. 

Q. But did you recollect independent of the book ? 

A. I recollect of this man's coming, and recollect it more thor- 
oughly in my mind, for my son calls attention to the fact, that he 
was just going out or intending to go out, and these two were the 
last men. I recollect of examining these two men, of course ; I do 
not know who they were. They were not men I personally knew — 
not one of them of course. 

Q. Could you describe the men ? 

A. They were middling sized men, and this man was with the 
other one, and appeared to be perfectly healthy, every way. There 
was no peculiarity about it. He was not very old, neither was there 
any difficulty about his being too young — middhng aged man — no 
trouble on that account. I remember of examinino; two men. There 
have been scores of recruits examined — so many that I could not, 
after I turned my back upon them, tell one from another. You take 
any one of these other men, and I would not be able to give a minute 
description of him. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. The one you enlisted the other day was Ed- 
ward E. Howard ? 

A. No, that is the man, David E. Howard. I recollect perfectly 
about the hernia. It was not a case very conspicuous. I had to 
take the scrotum in my hand and put my fingers on it, and I could 
feel the intestine protruding slightly in the scrotum. Then I was 
careful to lay him down on the floor and see if it would go back. 
The way would be to lay him on the other side, and it would slip 
right back of itself; that would be proof positive that it was hernia. 
This West was Avith the man. 

Q. What time in the day was that ? 

A. I think it was in the middle of the day — I guess in the after- 
noon — I guess about 2 o'clock, perhaps, and he took the man very 
quietly. Some will be very angry because a man is rejected, and he 
did not seem to remonstrate. I stated emphatically that he was a 
good man it it was not for that. That was the end of it. He went 
out and I saw him no more ; of course I coula not explain how I 
signed those papers. I was just as much astonished as any one could 
be, to find my name on the papers of David E. Howard, when he 
was rejected. Now I can see and know the explanation. He must 
have been a white man. 

Q. [Refers to book.] What does this mean? "By whom en- 



374 REPORT OF FINAKCE COMMITTEE 

listed ?" There is such a blank as that in the army regulations — and 
if there was time to put down who enlisted him, it would be under 
that column. We put down Major Sanford as enlisting David E. 
Howard ? 

A. He did not come there. He is the head of that office. He 
is one of Major Sanford's men. We ask them whose they are, and 
we know that these light artillerymen are Major Sanford's men. 

Q. Then you had to put this down ? 

A. We should put it down, but it is such a monstrous sight of 
writing that we don't do it so much. Now if we had been fortunate 
as it is on this page — to put down who brought this man 

Q. Do you know who brought him ? 

A. No, sir, I do not ; Clarence, perhaps could tell you. He 
recollects more about it. 

TESTIMONY OF CLARENCE GARDINER. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Q. Are you the son of Dr. Gardiner? • 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Are you in his office ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Occupied there to keep his books ? 

A. I am studying with my father, and while there and not study- 
ing, I take the books and enter the names of recruits brought in. 

Q. Will you look on this book ? 

A. That is my hand-writing. 

Q. Is that in your hand-writing, David E. Howard ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you recollect that man ? 

A. No, sir ; I do not recollect the man. I recollect the circum- 
stance when brought there. He was brought with this man by the 
name of Barnes, who was rejected for varicose veins. 

Q. Who brought them ? 

A. I do not know. He was Major Sanford's man — it was not he 
that brought him. I asked who was the recruiting officer, and he 
said Major Sanford. 

Q. Had he any papers ? / 

A. Yes, sir. The reason I recollect, I was going to Pawtucket, 
and going in the twenty minutes to four train, and was getting ready 
when father had these men come in, and that detained me until the 
next train, and made me recollect. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. When they bring the men, do they bring 
recruiting papers ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. The recruiting officer's name at the bottom? 

A. It is sometimes signed and sometimes not. The blank is 
always left, and as father only has to certify to that 

Q. Did you examine the papers of this man ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 375 

A. No, sir ; only to take off the name, where born, age, occupa- 
tion ; that is all that is stated on the papers. 

Q. Where did you get the information that these men were for 
the 1st Artillery ? 

A. By asking the man who brought them. 

Q. Was he a recruiting officer that brought them ? 

A. Yes, sir ; not a recruiting officer, but one of these men who 
run around. 

Q. Have you seen him before or since ? 

A. Yes, sir ; but I do not recollect who he was. 

Q. Do you know Luke Chace ? 

A. No, sir ; not by name. I should probably know his name if 
I saw him. 

Q. Do you know him ? 

A. Yes, sir ; from the fact of having several conversations with 
him in the office. 

Q. How should you describe this man who brought him ? 

A. I could not give a description, I only recollect the cii'cum- 
stance, from the fact, that they came in on Friday ; I was not there 
much that day. These are the only two men that came on that day 
but while I was there they came, about three and a half or four 
o'clock. 

Q. Edward E. Howard ; is that your writing? 

A. That is my writing also. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Would you know this man if you should 
see him — should you recognize him ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. By the Chairman. How was he dressed, in citizens clothes ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he have anything of a military dress about him ? 

A. I do not recollect. I could not say as to that. If Norman 
R. Barnes could be found, he, probably, could tell you who brought 
him. 

Q. Did you make that entry, sir. 

A. I entered it, and wondered at the time if he was related to the 
Barnes' in Smithfield. 

Q. Did you get ft^om him his residence? 

A. Only the place where he was born — that was stated on the 
papers. 

Q. Do you recollect a man coming into the office at that time 
and getting a certificate for a man who had lost a certificate ? 

A. A certificate for a man who had lost his papers ? Yes, sir ; I 
recollect that circumstance, it was Monday morning. 

Q. Cau you state whether that was the man who brought in this 
Howard ? 

A. No, sir ; I could not. That was a colored man — no, it was a 
man who came there with two colored men, and wanted certificates 
for both of them, or brought certificates, saying that the papers had 
been lost. He was not the man that brought them. The man who 



376 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

brought the colored men, wears a beaver hat with crape on it. He 
brought the two negroes on Monday morning. I know he did not 
come witli these two men. 

TESTIMONY OF DR. JOHNSTON GARDINER— Continued. 

Q. You are still of the opinion, Doctor, that you have not made 
out two sets of papers — that is — a set of papers for David E. Howard, 
a white man in the battery, and another set of papers for David E. 
Howard, a colored man ? 

A. Oh, my dear sir, I should not think of doing anything of the 
kind. There has been no application for any such papers — no person 
has been near me and said a word about them. I only want to say 
emphatically, I have never seen the papers, and I never have had 
any ; all that has been done I have done in this way : we would in- 
spect, in Custom House street, a dozen or twenty, or sometimes over 
thirty in the morning, all belonging on this colored book. 

Q. Do you go to the Custom House place to make your exam- 
inations ? 

A. I do now ; I used to do it on the Dexter Training Ground. 
I have had three places. Dexter Training Ground, then here at the 
office, and when I came round to see the sick men at the barracks, I 
would go in at this place. 

Q. You believe the papers signed by you were the papers brought 
by this man ? 

A. I have no doubt that some one brought the papers there for 
this man, who had 

Q. No, the papers you signed for the man in the first artillery ? 

A. Certainly, sir ; supposing, and having no doubt but what the 
man was going with the first artillery. 

Q. Have you any information that there is not a David E. How- 
ard in the artillery now ? 

A. It would be a singular coincidence, but it would not be im- 
possible. 

Q. But that is your signature ? 

A. Yes, sir ; unless you apply this signature to another paper. 

Q. But you have not given but one ? 

A. I have not given but one paper on that artillery book. 

Q. And but one in the other? 

A. No, sir, of course not. 

Q. Then the other man — is not that your signature ? 

A. Certainly, sir, of course. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Wm. West testifies that he sent the papers 
up to you, and that you signed them by his sending you his name ? 

A. Oh, no ; there was never a paper signed that way. Let me 
tell you, I have inspected men over there, sometimes fifteen or twenty, 
and we would write off the names, — perhaps the time would expire 
for me — then I would take those papers, — I did three or four times, 
took all the papers up — he left the papers there ; some were not all 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 377 

filled ; it required a good deal of writing to fill them. I would 
place my signature to the papers, and then compare the papers with 
this list — every one — and I never gave a paper in my whole life. If 
anything was sent there, as this man speaks of, I never saw it, and 
this man knows it. 

Q. By the Chairman. I understand you to say that you have, 
in some instances, examined the men and entered them on the book ? 

A. Yes, sir ; but I have not signed the papers. I have had to 
step out, — had to go away, — and then I came back afterwards and ex- 
amined the papers and compared them with the book. 

Q. And if you find them accepted on the book, you signed the 
papers ? 

A. Exactly. 

Q. Are you sure you did not do the same in this case ? Those pa- 
pers were brought back to you, you looked on the book — saw that the 
man was not rejected, and you signed the papers ? 

A. I am perfectly sure of it. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. But you have just testified that in some 
instances you have done so ? 

A. But that was when I had been over there. This was at the 
office. 

Q. This was at your office that he was inspected? 

A. There has been no such man sent there, because I would 
remember it in a moment if it had been so in three or four weeks. I 
know for a certainty that there is not a vestige or shadow of truth in 
this story. 

Q. I wish you would explain to the committee how you are paid 
for all these examinations ? 

A. The way T have been paid for all these examinations is by an 
appointment which I had two years ago. 

Q. Who pays you ? 

A. Capt. Silvey. The money comes through Capt. Silvey. 
The United States, appointment was in this way. I had been exam- 
ining for all the old regiments, and because Capt. Silvey wanted me, 
they put me on to this new regiment. I did not want to — I would 
rather not. The Governor wanted I should, and they arranged that 
if I had time I should attend to it, and so I have inspected all the col- 
ored men. I would say that I did not get any more pay whether 
they were rejected or passed. It makes no pecuniary difference to 
me whether a man passed or not. 

Q. You examine the man and if he goes off into Massachusetts 
you are paid the same ? 

A. I am paid the same and no more. 

Q. Do they pay you by your own book? 

A. That is the way they do with the colored book. I told Capt. 
Silvey right up and down that I would not take them unless they 
paid me in this way. I told Capt. Silvey so, and the Governor 
thought I ought not to. The Adjutant General and Capt. Silvey 
agreed to it. These men belonging here, who come to me are stripped 
and examined, are what I am paid for. 

48 



378 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. The Governor does not enquire what becomes of the men. 
He takes your book, and Avhatever is there he pays ? 

A. Well the Adjutant General pays. I never have been to the 
Governor at all. The Adjutant General was anxious that I should 
take the colored men. It was hot weather and I was not very well; 
I had as much as I could do, and I was not solicitous about it, and he 
said you had better — the Captain and the Governor thinks you had 
better do it. I went to Capt. Silvey, and he said you had better take 
it, and the Governor said you had better take such an hour and do 
it. I then saw General Mauran and told him I did not wish to, but 
I wanted to know what evidence I should have to produce in order to 
get my pay ; for if I have to send to all the regiments in the south- 
ern states to get certificates, ( I have done it before), I'll not under- 
take it. That is the way I did when I first began, and so I am paid 
as I have stated. 

TESTIMONY OF DR. JOHNSTON GARDINER. 

Q. You are examining surgeon for all recruits ? 

A. Well, I dont't know. I am examining the recruits for the 
State of Rhode Island. I have understood that the cavalry out to 
Pawtucket, and some other places, are examined by somebody else ; 
but then I have been examinino; surgeon for two vears. 

Q. Look at that paper ? 

A. Yes, sir ; this man's name I find on the book marked rejected. 

Q. By Mr. Hill. Is that your signature ? 

A. It looks like it. 

Q. Do you recollect signing that paper ? 

A. I have no recollection of it, whatever ; that is, I don't know 
when it was signed ; I only know that it looks as though I signed it. 

Q. Do you recollect signing any paper of that kind last Friday ? 

A. The book will show I have signed. Some one might have 
come with a recruit that I knew, and I have takei:^ the recruit into the 
other room to go through with the examination, and this person may 
have entered the name on the book. It is possible that some one has 
been in who had a recruit to examine, saying, " I will enter the name 
on the book," or when I came out, entered the name on the book. I 
might possibly have passed the man in that way, whose name is not 
on the book. 

Q. Do you recollect examining any recruits last Friday ? You 
don't recollect, now, independent of your book, of examining any 
recruits on that day ? 

A. No, sir, I do not ; though I think very probably. My im- 
pression is that I did examine some one or two, Friday or Saturday, 
and I do not know, but one each day. The book, — unless some 
name has been omitted, — will show. I recollect well the first time I 
examined the man. I have no exact impression of the man, more 
than any other recruit. The first time I ever heard of the man, and 
I have never seen or examined him since, until I hear that he has 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 379 

been sent there with papers. There has never been any papers sent 
to me, and they were never signed in my office. I never heard of 
the case until Captain Hamhn asked me about it, and then I showed 
him the book. 

Q. What do you think was the difficulty? 

A. I thought it was incipient hernia ; that is, according to my 
best recollection. 

Q. The man did not know anything about it ? 

A. I did not think it was safe for him to go. Still, when I passed 
upon him my son was present, and happened to be in the office, — he 
is eighteen or twenty years old, — he made this entry on the book at 
the time, and I never have heard from this man, in any way, since. 
There (showing the book) is the man Howard ; my son wrote it 
down. There was three men, Geo. Johnston, John A. Field and 
John Brewster, those were all I knew. If there has been any man 
in there, he has come there and his name has not been entered on the 
book — it is a mistake. 

Q. John A. Field was a white man ? 

A. No, sir ; there are no white men on this book. The whole of 
this is for the colored men. 

Q. This is Edward E. Howard ? 

A. This is David E. Howard. That was put there wrong. He 
(my son) made a mistake, and meant to have put it there right. 

Q. That first man was accepted ? here is one that is rejected ? 

A. That name, — that Edward E. Howard, — means the same 
man. That is David E. Howard, I have no doubt. 

Q. Do you recollect the man ? should you know him? 

A. I don't believe I should ; I see so many colored men, I could 
not tell one from another. 

Q. Won't you look at this man ? 

A. I should merely guess that I had seen him before. All I can 
say, gentlemen, I have never heard of the man since. I should just 
as soon have supposed anything else, as that I should find this man's 
name on my book again. There never has been anybody there with 
that paper. I have never heard a syllable of it, or seen a vestige of 
any paper, and what to make of it I do not know. On reflection 
about it, in the middle of the day, I thought if any man had been 
there — the only conclusion I could arrive at, and this is only a hy- 
pothesis, that somebody had brought a healthy man with the papers, 
and got me to sign them, with this man's name to them, and that I 
had signed them. I did not recollect at all this man's face ; I should 
not recollect a man whom I passed a week ago, and if, a week hence 
you send me a man who comes to represent David E. Howard, I 
should not know the man. That is all the way that I could solve the 
difficulty was, that some sound man had been presented and passed 
with this man's papers. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. It seems to be a common thing to examine a 
man one day and pass him another ? 

A. I will explain. There might have been a dozen cases, perhaps 



380 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

more. I should think not over a dozen, if any, in the course of a 
year, present at inspection, and there Avould be a little venereal sore, 
a little shank of it, and these men wanted to go, and I would tell the 
recruiting officer, " you take them to the doctor and get them cured, 
and when they come to me well, I'll pass them ; I cannot pass them 
until they are cured." Sometimes they would apply to me, and 
sometimes they would. go to another doctor and get cured. If it was 
a trifling thing, it would not take a great deal of time, as a general 
thing I would put on caustic, and, perhaps, in a week tliey would be 
sound ; perhaps, in three or four days they would come after they 
had been under treatment, not quite well, and I would not dare to 
pass them. But this man, there never has been a vestige of anything 
of that sort on that man, and I should as soon think of cutting off 
my head or my arm, as to have signed a certificate after I had re- 
jected him. This was a case of not any doubt ; neither was there in 
my recollection, a single rejected man who had his papers signed 
afterwards. 

Q. Hp says you told him he was a good man otherwise, but this 
difficulty would reject him, and that he assisted you to put it up ? 

A. I believe this man West was there and I might have spoken 
to him about it. 

Q. Do you consider hernia incurable ? 

A. There is a man in Boston, a quack doctor, who pretends to 
cure it. I never attempted to cure it, because — 

Q. You never told West you could cure it ? 

A. I never thought of such a thing no more than I thought of 
cutting my' head off. He said never a word to me about him, about 
the man. No other individual, positively, has ever asked me to sign 
a certificate for a man who had been rejected, and I never even 
thought of it. 

Q. Was this hernia very evident ? 

A. No, sir, it was not very conspicuous. It was down to the bot- 
tom. I was not expecting it, but I found a difficulty that would pre- 
clude him from the army, and I at once rejected him, and never have 
heard a syllable from him since and have never been requested to pass 
him by any living being. 

Q. Did you show Mr. West how it could be put up ? 

A. My dear sir, I never said a word to Mr. West about it. It is 
possible he might have gone into the room to see him. 

Q. Did you intimate to Mr. West that the man might be accepted 
afterwards ? 

A. No, sir, never a syllable. I have had cases where there was 
some doubt as to the size of a man. There was a young man presen- 
ted to day, that although he measured tall enough, when I came to 
see him in a state of nudity, there did not seem to be enough of him 
to do anything, and I had my doubts, though he had a strong consti- 
tution, and I sent a note to Capt. Silvey's office to get his opinion. 
Whenever a case of that kind occurs I take this course perhaps, but 
of this man, I never thought of sending word to any body, and I 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 381 

rejected him, and that was the last I heard of him until Capt. Ham- 
lin showed me this paper. I have studied upon it a good deal to know 
how my signature was obtained to it. 

Q. That name was signed when it was brought to you? 

A. I should think it was. If I do not find the name, I ask why 
they don't have the man's signature on, and sometimes in a few rare 
instances, they put the name down in my office ; generally they bring 
the signature. 

Q. Your book shows that one man was examined on the 19th ? 

A. Yes, sir ; only one man. 

Q. Who is this man, John A. Field ? 

A. I should like to know. I thought whether this man did have 
one name in the paper, and put in the book another name. 

(Mr. West was permitted to ask.) 

Q. Don't you have a fi'ont office and a back office ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you not have the man lay on the floor? 

A. Yes, sir; and when he laid down on his back it went back 
itself. 

Q. Don't you recollect asking me to come in ? 

A. I have no recollection — very likely. There was a man there 
to-day that had a disease, and the man who brought the recruit 
wanted to see him, and was astonished when he saw him. 

Q. Haven't I brought you up four or five men for you to doctor for 
this Syphillis ? 

A. I believe you did three or four for Major Engley — three or 
four men that had these troubles. I have had, sometimes, fifty come 
at a time, and I have told Major Engley I did not want anything to 
do with them, — I would talk with Captain Silvey about it, — whether 
some one else had better not take care of them than I. But this 
man had got nothing of this kind. 

Q. Did I not pay you for curing these up ? 

A. Major Engley paid me. 

Q. Did not I bring you the money, and you told me you would 
doctor them as a citizen ? 

A. He paid me. Major Engley did — ^you were the gentleman I 
suppose. 

(^Further Examination hy the Chairman.^) 

Q. Do you know Luke Chace ? 

A. I do not know that I do, I have no recollection of such a man 
now. Oh, I know Mr. Chace that is over there in the office, a clerk, 
I did not know his first name. 

Q. Has he been in your office a good deal ? 

A. No, sir ; he was never there but very little. Perhaps he was 
never in the office but on some business of dispatch. I believe two 
or three times he brought up a paper for, perhaps, half a page of 



382 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

names. Sometimes he came with twenty or thirty. Sometimes I 
have had to sign them of a Sunday, and stay at home from meeting, 
when he has been in a hurry. 

Q. Did he ever study in your office, this Mr. Chace ? 

A. Never, an hour ; I do not know but httle about him. 

Q. He has had your signature a great many times ? 

A. Oh, yes, sir, of course. He would come over with his papers, 
for instance, we would examine a dozen riien, and let their names all 
be entered on here, and those that had any disease, that would be 
noted, and they would be at once rejected, and then the sound ones 
would be signed. Sometimes we have taken these papers — perhaps, 
half a dozen, and bring them there and have the papers made out. 
This man, whose name is Chace, I am not acquainted with in any 
other Avay. 

Q. After you have examined that signature carefully, have you 
any doubt about it's being your signature ? 

A. I should not think of doubting it ; I believe I told Captain 
Hamlin that that was my signature. 

Q. But you thought Mr. West came into your office once since 
the time he came witii Howard ? 

A. I think he was there once, and that, I did not recollect when 
I first saw Capt. Hamlin — this book was open, and he saw the book. 

Q. At that time this correction Avas not made ? 

A. No, sir ; my son Clarence made it. 

Q. What I want to call your attention to is this, — was this cor- 
rection before the time that the man was brought up ? 

A. It must have been made after. Clarence would know, because 
when he came to look at the book, he made that alteration. Let me 
see. I think I said to Mr. West when this second one came to me, 
" well, this is a good one ; he is not like the other man." Was there 
not some such allusion ? Did I refer — 

(Mr. West did not know.) 

Dr. Gardiner. It seems to me I said, " this is a good fellow." — 

Mr. West asks. Do you recollect my naming to you that he was 
not going to lifting much ? 

Dr. Gardiner. I do not recollect whether you said so or not. I 
rejected him. 

Q. By the Chairman. Did that make any difference ? 

A. No, sir, none at all ; there never — 

Q. Doctor, it seem that on the 19th there was only one man 
examined and he was accepted ? 

A. Yes, sir, it seems so. 

Q. Did any one come with him ? 

A. That's what I was enquiring about — if there was any other 
man, I cannot recollect. I have so many of- them come. There was 
one came to day, and two or three others came with him — an officer 
and one other man I could recollect ; my impression is, that at the 
time this man came in on the 19th one colored man was inspected, 
and it seems to me, another man came with him. Then there was 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 383 

some recruiting officer, I don't recollect who it was. All the way I 
could solve the mystery — either my name was like a case we had last 
spring — 

Q. Who wrote that name ? Clarence? 

A. I don't know. That don't look like his writing. He would 
know in a moment; I studied upon it, and then I thought Mr. West was 
there again, and I thought I had not signed this while he Avas there. 
Then it occurred to me that some sound man was sent there and I 
passed him and his name was not entered. There might be a sound 
man brought and passed bearing the same name on the j^apers. I 
might look them over and pass him, and say he was all sound, and 
then these papers might have been taken and given to this man, but 
I never examined this man a second time. 

Q. Doctor, is it possible that you signed the papers of any other 
man, and then that went on your book ? 

A. Well, that's what I am trying to solve. 

Q. If there had been any other name, would it not have been 
here ? 

A. That is what I am trying to account for. The person, know- 
ing it, must have said, " I will enter this name."' I might have 
examined the man and signed the papers while the man put the name 
on the book ; but I have no recollection of that, however, at all. 
This is all the way — that some well person was brought for this man 
Howard. I should not know him from him. I should not recollect 
the names to-morrow of some persons who were there to-day. 

Q. You have no recollection of examining any person on the 19th, 
except this man on the book ? 

A. I have no recollection, distinct, from what appears on the 
book, and that, I take it for granted, must be correct ; but that is all 
the way I can account for it, unless somebody did get my signature 
on paper, and then kept the signature and applied it to this man. 
That, possibly, might have been done ; but I have been very careful 
how I sign my name. 

Q. Did you ever sign your name in blank on these papers? 

A. I never did. 

Mr. West asked if the Doctor ever knew of a case of hernia that 
was cured ? 

Dr. Gardiner. There might have been a case. Dr. Miller said 
there was a case — but it never came down. But a decided case of 
hernia, never. I am just as sure it would be rejected as I am alive. 

[The Doctor told of a singular case of John Zitki, who had a 
double hernia that Dr. Miller trussed up until, in time, it did not 
appear, and for which Dr. M. induced the Adjutant General to pay 
for a $10 truss. "I should think," said Dr. G., "that this man 
might go to Boston and pass."] Then, within a short time, I have 
had two cases where I have been requested to sign a second set of 
papers. They would say the papers were lost. I said to a man, "if 
you give me a certificate that those papers are lost, I will sign." I 
have his certificate, alleging, positively, that those papers are lost. I 
believe there is one set of papers down on Dutch Island. 



384 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Mr. West asked if Dr. Gardiner had ever rejected a man with 
hernia, and then passed him afterwards ? He thought the books 
would show that to be so. 

Dr. Gardiner. I have said that such things had been done. 

Q. By the Chairman — to Dr. Gardiner. You mean after exam- 
ining a man with any doubt ? 

A. Yes, sir ; that has been done, one case in five hundred. I 
believe we had a man that we deliberated whether or not it would be 
best to pass him, and I wrote a note to Captain Silvey. Sometimes 
the man has held over until the npxt day, and sometimes until after 
that. There was one man here to-daj^, who was round here all the 
forenoon, trying to make out that he was big enough. He said he 
Avas stout enough, and could do a great deal, but he did not get 
passed. 

FURTHER EXAMINATION OF DAVID E. HOWARD. 

Questions by Mr. West. 

Q. Do you recollect of a man's going out of the office with you, 
or right after you, one day when you had been in the office ? 

A. I could not say whether there was or not. 

Q. Did you make any bargain Avith a man to be examined in 
your place ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you tell anybody that you would rather give $50 than 
not go? 

A. No, sir ; I believe that was a proposition you made to me. 

Q. I did not ask you no $50. 

A. You said that Dr. Miller would ask that much. 

Q. Have you not said that you had rather give $50 than not go, 
since then ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you recollect seeing colored men sitting round in the office ? 

A. Yes, sir; I have. 

Q. Do you recollect seeing one twice ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I have seen this man that I have always seen round 
there, all the times I have been in there. 

Q. By the Chairman. Do you know any of the names of these 
men ? 

A. No, sir ; no man that I have met in there, except this man, 
I have heard the name, West. That's the only name. I believe one 
not in there, a brother of Mr. Noyes, was there sometime ago. 

Q. Do you know a colored man by the name of John A. Field ? 

A. No," sir. 

Q. By Mr. West. Do you know of any colored man examined 
on Friday ? 

A. No, sir ; I never heard of an3\ 

Q. By the Chairman. Now, David, do you know who got that 
paper for you ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 385 

A. When I saw it, it was in Mr. West's hands. That's the first 
I knew abovit it. 

Q. Did he tell you when he had it ? 

A. I asked him if he had it ready, and he said he had got it 
signed. 

Q. By Mr. West. Don't you know that the Doctor's name was 
there when you put your's there ? 

A. I think it was. 

Q. By the Chairman. Who made that pencil mark there ? 

A. Mr. West marked it for me to write on, but I did not observe 
it much. 

Q. Did you see him make it ? 

A. I guess he made it — simply drew across with a pencil, and 
told me to write. 

Q. You are sure the Doctor's name was on it then ? 

A. I would not be positive; I think it was, I would not say posi- 
tively ; but that was my impression. I think I remarked at the time 
that it Avas all right. 

Q. Why did you not use the same papers you had before ? 

A. They were left with Dr. Gardiner ; I saw them laying on the 
table with something wrote on them — the three laying together and 
something wrote on them — what it was I could not see. 

Q. Neither Chace nor West explained to you how they got these 
papers ? 

A. No, sir, they did not say anything about this, or the other sets 
of papers at this time. 

Q. You don't know how they were obtained ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You had nothing to do with it whatever ? 

A. No, sir ; only I know that it was obtained — the Doctor's 
name signed when I saw it last. 

Q. Did West, or Chace, or any of them tell you they would get 
the papers for $20 ? 

A. I don't know as they did. 

Q. Did they speak of the papers? 

A. He (Chace) said this West would cure me and fix me all 
right. Mr. Chace said that when we were in the other room. (To 
Mr. West.) I went in the other room separate ; I did not go into 
the other room but once. 

FURTHER EXAMINATION OF JAY WEST. 

Q By the Chairman. You saw Howard sign the order you say? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he sign it more than once? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. In more than one place ? 

A. No, sir ; not to my knowledge. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. This $20, I suppose it to be, the $20 on the 
order ? 

49 



386 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. I did not read it, and that's all I know of it. What he gave 
Mr. Chace, sir, I cannot say. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. What became of this order after it was 
first written ? 

A. Mr. Chace took it. 

Q. Have you ever had it ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. It has never been in your possession at all ? 

A. Not until I got it from Mr. Chace. 

Q. That was — Friday the order was given, and you got it Sat- 
urday ? 

A. Yes, sir ; Mr. Chace took and carried it away. Col. Viall 
came in Saturday when I was in the office alone ; he came in and 
said you must not stop $20 of that man's pay, it is wrong. 

Q. Now, I want to know when you first saw that order — when 
you first received it ? It was not paid ; when did you first receive 
the order, after it was written and signed ? 

A. After I went M'ith Mr. Chace to the Paymaster General's 
office to get it. 

Q. Mr. Chace handed it to you on Saturday ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Had Mr. Chace any interest in that order ? 

A. Yes, sir ; one half was his. 

Q. Had he done any service requiring that ? 

A. Not at all. 

Q. What was the order for ? 

A. For passing, or getting him through. 

Q. But, Mr. Chace did not do anything ? 

A. No, sir ; he did not do anvthing. 

Q. He had half? 

A. Yes, sir ; Mr. Chace wrote the order. 

Q. Did you perform any medical services ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was the $20 for that ? 

A. The $20 was for getting him through, — a part of it for that — 
I was to have half. 

Q. What was Mr. Chace's interest ? 

A. Because, he was to write the order and get it paid. He 
named the order in the first place — take an order. 

Q. Now, is Mr. Chace for Mr. Engley, or does he work on his 
own account ? 

A. I suppose him to be clerk. 

Q. Was you working on your own account, or how were you 
working ? 

A. I was working for Mr. Englev. 

Q. Both were working for him, and both had half an interest in 
the order, — what interest had Engley ? 

A. Mr. Engley did not get any pay on this man, — he belonged in 
Providence. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 387 

Q. You and Chace were \vorkin<T for Engley, — you got nothing 
for your work, and you were both to have $10? Do you say this 
order was in part for medical services ? 

A. Yes, sir ; it was for medical services. 

Q. You saw the. order ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You asked Mr, Chace to write it? 

A. I asked Mr. Chace. 

Q. If you enlisted him, how came he to know that he wanted to 
give an order ? 

A. Mr. Chace was in the office, and Mr. 

Q. How came he to know there was any order to be made ? 

A. Mr. Chace proposed it. I told him this man had not the 
money. I think he said to him when he came into the office, "have 
you come to enlist?" 

Q. Will you say directly how came Mr. Chace to know that the 
order was to be made ? 

A. I told Mr. Chace that I could not doctor him for nothing, and 
he proposed making an order, and I told him he said he had no 
money, and he says make out an order and take it out of his bounty. 

Q. Had he already passed the doctor ? 

A. No, sir ; he had not. 

Q. He had been there and been rejected ? How did you get. his 
signature on paper? 

A. I sent a man up to the office after I made out the papers, and 
Mr. Chace took the order and went off. I made out three papers, 
and a man in the office came in, and I sent him up to the doctor with 
them and told him to say that they were from West, and he went out 
of the office with the papers. 

Q. You say he went to enlist and did not pass examination, and 
you got the Doctor to sign the papers ? 

A. Oh, I sent the papers up to the Doctor. 

Q. You say he was not examined? 

A. No, I sent up the papers. 

Q. Any writing with the papers ? 

A. I sent the man up and told him to tell that West sent them up. 

Q. Let's know how long a time he was under your treatment ? 

A. Three days. 

Q. Did not he sign the recruiting papers on Friday ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. On Saturday you sent up the papers? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. That's one day. He did not pass examination on Friday ? 

A. He did not pass on the 16th. 

Q. On Saturday he passed examination by sending up the papers, 
and the Doctor signed them ; and the papers came back signed ? 

A. Yes, sir ; 1 sent up the papers, and they came back signed. 

Q. Is that a common way of getting a physician's certificate ? 

A. I have sent papers up before to Dr. Gardiner, and he signed 



388 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

them without any man with them ; also he has rejected a man, I 
think, with hernia befoi-e, and then passed him. 

Q. Did you cure the man in these two days? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. How did you expect he was going to pass the second day ? 

A. How did I expect ? 

Q. On Saturday, — two days afterwards, — you sent some papers 
with this man's name, and the Doctor signed them as being the 
proper man. Now, did you cure him ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. How then did you expect he should pass in two days after ? 

A. Why, he passed him the same as though being cured in two 
days, as a good many others. 

Q. What, after he has rejected them ? , 

A. He has rejected them, and then passed them afterwards. 

Q. What did you do to this man ? 

A. I put up this hernia and gave him some liniment to bathe it 
with, and did it up and put a belt round. 

Q. By your prescription, something was going to be done by 
which you suppose the Doctor would pass him ? 

A. I did not suppose the Doctor would have anything more to do 
with him, only to sign the papers. 

Q. Can you furnish this committee with the man who carried the 
papers ? 

A. If I could see him I could. 

Q. Don't you know his name ? 

A. I do not ; we have any quantit}'' of loafers. 

Q. Then, is the Doctor accustomed to sign any papers for any 
individual man you send ? 

A. No, sir ; I don't think he would. I have paid the Doctor a 
good deal of money. 

Q. That would be no reason why he should pass a man for you 
that he had decided should not pass ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. By the Chairman. Do you know John A. Field ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. In consideration for this order you have one half for medical 
services, and the other was for putting him through ? 

A. The other half was for Mr. Chace. 

Q. Will you tell the reason why it was withdrawn from the Pay- 
master and destroyed ? 

A. Colonel Viall came into the office Saturday, and said it was 
wrong. He said, " you must not stop any orders on this man's 
bounty." 

Q. Col. Viall did not have anything to do with it ? 

A. He said that it was w^iong, and I told him if it was not right 
I would give the order up. 

Q. When did you get that order from the Paymaster ? 

A. Saturday. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 389 

Q. Mr. West, has there been any understanding between you 
and Dr. Gardmer, that you would send a man and papers to him, 
and that he would approve them, — this last time, or at any other 
time, — at any time ? 

A. He has doctored men. I have been with a man, and he would 
look at him and say, " you send up that man's papers to-morrow, and 
I will sign them," and the man would not go up at all. 

Q. He had looked at the man ? 

A. He had looked at the man and rejected him. 

Q. Do you mean to say that he has rejected a man and after- 
wards passed him ? Has it not, sometimes, happened that a man 
was considered suspended, and the Doctor neither accepts nor rejects 
him ? 

A. Yes, sir, them cases ; well, I refer to them and the others 
also. 

Q. Do you say also, that Dr. Gardiner ever rejected a man for 
hernia, and afterwards received him ? 

A. I think he has, and I think it can be found on his books. 

Q. Has he done it for you? 

A. I do not know as he has done it for me in particular, I cannot 
say. 

Q. Can you say that he has not done it for you ? 

A. I do not know as he has for me. 

Q. Do you know that he has for any person ? 

A. I am quite confident it is on his books so. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Will you tell the character of the order ? 
You have testified to the amount of the order ? 

A. I did not read it. Mr. Chace passed the order to me and 
says, " put your name there," and he puts his name there. I did not 
read the order ; and then he took it and put it into his pocket. I did 
not read, and cannot tell a single word of the order. 

Q. Have you not told since yesterday, that there was no account 
for medical services, — haven't you said there was no such word 
there ? 

A. I did not see any such word there as medical. 

Q. What was your particular business to leave in the cars ? 

A. I was leaving to go to Washington. 

Q. Had you designed to go if this did not occur ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you see Mr. Chace last night ? 

A. I saw him when I was coming out of the depot. 

Q. Did not you see him on board the cars ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you see him at the cars? 

A. No, sir, I did not. 

Q. He was there looking for you, and you did not see him ? 

A. I was going to Washington. 

Q. Were you going on services for this man who was looking for 
you? 

A. No, sir. 



390 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. Did not Major Sanford engage you to go ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Were your family with you ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were you designing to come back? 

A. Yes, sir ; expecting to be back in ten days. 

Q. You were not going on recruiting services ? 

A. I was not ; neither Major Sanford nor anybody have not asked 
me to go for them. I did not know that Mr. Chace had been up 
here. 

Q. You had seen Mr. Chace last night? 

A. I saw him last night at the depot when I was coming away. 
I saw Mr. Swan there. On Saturday afternoon I met Mr. Chace 
on the sidewalk. 

Q. Did you hear that Mr. Chace took a $15 order beside the $20 ? 

A. I never have. 

Q. A single point you have not made clear, — those cases who 
have been passed after they were examined and not accepted when 
examined ? 

A. He has passed men so before, sir. 

Q. For you, has he ? 

A. Not for me specially, — I have known him to do it. 

Q. How many times, — several times ? 

A. I do not know, — four, five or six times. 

Q. Have you paid the Doctor considerable money ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I have paid him a considerable. 

Q. What for, for doctoring men ? 

A. I have paid him when I have gone there. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Who furnished you with this money that 
•you paid a considerable of ? 

A. Major Engley. I have $4, |5, $8, $10, and I don't know 
but 115. 

Q. What was that for ? 

A. For doctoring them fellows. I cannot recollect who they were. 

Q. Was it not on that account that you thought you could get 
him to pass this man ? 

A. I don't know as it was on that account. I think he would 
pass a man as quick for me as anybody. 

Q. Do you think he would pass a man any quicker for one per- 
son than for another ? 

A. I don't know as he would. 

Q. By the Chairman. Now, I want to ask what is your 
opinion about what you have heard the Doctor say ? Do you believe 
the man you sent up with the papers, personated David E. Howard 
and was examined ? 

A. Do I think he did ? No, sir, I do not. 

Q. How do you think he came to sign them ? 

A. I think he signed the papers. 

Q. You heard him swear that he did not ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 391 

A. Yes, sir, I did. 

Q. By Mr. Tliomas. If you did not read the order, how do you 
know it is destroyed. Mr. Chace gave it to you — how do you know 
it was the order ? 

A. He told me it Avas the order. I was going to hand it to Col. 
Viall. 

Q. It is a most remarkable circumstance that you destroyed it, 
and was so anxious to get it out of sight ? 

A. Mr. Chace told me it was the order, and I took it to hand to 
Col. Viall. - 

Q. You did not design to carry the paper to Col. Viall before 
you Jinew what it was ? 

A. I destroyed the order that Mr. Chace got me, and I did not 
know whether it was a $20 or $15 order. 

Q. You knew, sir, that gentlemen were about, and that your 
family were in the cars when you were about to leave in the cars for 
Washington ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Not on board the cars at all ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. They were going with you ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you go on board the platform on the cars? 

A. I went on board the cars on the left track this way, and car-' 
ried my things in. My wife was standing on the platform. I told 
her I was going out on the back side, and she said, " I am not going 
to stop here then," and she went as far as the fence, and I went fur- 
ther down and did a job, and she coming up to the platform to get 
into the cars, when Mr. Swan spoke to me. That's the way I was 
going to get into them. 

Q. By the Chairman. Mr. West, do you know that Dr. Gar- 
diner, — you say that, in a number of instances, he has accepted men, 
after they have been rejected, — after he had rejected them ? 

A. Yes, sir ; he concluded to re-examine them, — orders had been 
taken from them. 

Q. Do you know that the Doctor had any share, in any way, in 
these orders ? 

A. I do not, no sir. Major Engley has sent me up there with a 
man to doctor and told me he has paid him. 

Q. In that case, did he really doctor him, or has this money been 
paid under the head of doctoring, but actually for something else ? 

A. No, he has doctored men. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Do you mean that the Doctor took these 
payments for recruits, and that you, in fact, performed the medical 
services ? 

A. I doctored them and he furnished the medicine. I have been 
up there the same day when I have been up with one, two or three 
men who had the syphillis, and he took and causterized it, — burnt it 
and put on some mercury powders, — calomel, I thought, and he then 



392 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

gave the men some pills to take inside, and he has told me to see to 
them. To-morrow, he would say, do you do so and so, and day 
after to-morrow bring them to me. 

Q. In this case you did not take his advice at all, but doctored 
them yourself? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Then it seems you and the Doctor were in partnership, — you 
took care of the patients ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How many of your family were going in the cars ? 

A. Two besides myself. 

Q. Your children ? 

A. Yes, sir ; one child. 

Q,. Where was the child when you left ? 

A. The child was not far. We all went oiit together, and they 
went as far as the fence on the common, and then, after that, we all 
came in together. 

Q. Did not you know there were several officers looking after 
you for a long time, and you saw them in the depot ? 

A. I did not. I did not know there were any officers looking for 
me last night. I did not think of the thing. I went into the depot 
and put my carpet bag into the cars to secure my seat, and came out 
and stopped there with my wife. 

Q. How long were you gone from the cars ? 

A. I think ten, — =1 don't know but fifteen minutes. Then I came 
back into the cars where I put my things in. I went into the 
car on this side track, and put it on the seat to secure it, and 
then I got out and stood there with my wife. I told her I was going 
out back, and then she said I am not going to stand here, and I went 
out to the fence and did my business, and then come back to get into 
the car. 

Q. When did you tell Mr. (^/hace to make that order, and was 
this man present when you told him to make it ? 

A. I did not tell Mr. Chace when to make the order. 

Q. When was the first time you told Mr. Chace about this ? 

A. It was on the second morning, Thursday, I think — Friday. 

Q. When did he sign the order? 

A. The naxt morning ; the next day in the forenoon, I think. 

Q. Did Mr. Chace write the order in the office in Custom 
House stroet ? 

A. Not that I know of; I did not see him write the order at all. 

Q. Did he come to the place with the order all written ? 

A. He did, sir. He came into the office and told me to sign — me 
and this boy. 

Q. Had this boy previously given the order ? 

A. He did in the other room ; they had a conversation in the 
other room. 

Q. By Mr. Thomas. Did you tell this boy that the doctor would 
not pass him, and that you could cure him and get him passed for a 
certain sum of monev ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 398 

A. I don't know as I told him about passing him. 

Q. Did you tell him the doctor would not pass him, and another 
doctor would cure him for a certain sum of money ? 

A. I told him that Miller would not cure him for less than 150. 

Q. You told him the doctor would not pass him ? 

A. Yes, sir, he knew that. 

Q. Did you have any private conversation with the surgeon after 
he had examined this boy ? 

A. No, sir ; yes, sir ; in private. He stood in the entry and I 
told him this boy was going into the Adjutant's department, and would 
have no lifting nor strainhig to do, that there was no hard work to be 
done. He was a good writer, and Col. Viall was anxious to have 
him to go. Col. Viall has told that he had been trying to get him 
two or three months. 

Q. Can you tell any reason why this boy has not drawn his ad- 
vance bounty as other men have ? 

A. I cannot. 

Q. Do you know he has tried to get it, and has not succeeded ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not know he had been there for that. 

Q. You know that all got their pay? 

A. I do not know that all do, some of them do. This man be- 
longed to the city of Providence, and I don't know when he was to 
get his pay. 

Q. Don't you know that by the Governor's order, he is to have 
$25 on being sworn in ? 

A. No, sir; I knew he were to be paid $25. 

Q. You did not know but what they paid it to all ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I knew that ihere was some he would not pay it to. 
I think that a man recruited in this city, Major Engley would not 
pay him $25 or $75. 

TESTIMONY OF JAY WEST. 

[Examined by the Chairman.] 

Tuesday, February 23d, 1864. ; 
Q. What is your name ? 
A. Jay West. 
Q. Jay ? 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Where do you reside ? 

A. In Providence, I call it my home. I used to keep house here. 
Q. Are your family here ? 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What is your business ? 

A. What do you mean, what is, or what has been my business? 
Q. What is your occupation ? 
A. I have been at work for Major Engley. 
Q. In the recruiting business ? 
A. Yes, sir. 

50 



394 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. How long have you been in Major Engley's employ ? 

A. I don't know exactly, 

Q. Can't you tell when you commenced ? 

A. No, sir : I did not set it down. 

Q. Can't you tell pretty nearly ? 

A. No, sir ; I covild not, without asking them. I did not set 
anything down. 

Q. You are employed by him ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What does he pay you .^ 

A. Major Engley gives me just what he has a mind to. I see to 
the clothing of the men, and returning of them to camp. He has 
given me what he has a mind to. 

Q. Have you enlisted any men ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Does he pay you for that ? 

A. Major Engley ? no, sir. 

Q. Don't you take any pay at all ? 

A. I haven't from the men T have in. 

Q. Have you taken head money in any case ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Has Major Engley always taken it? 

A. Yes, sir ; I have taken receipts for the money, and carried the 
men up to camp. 

Q. How many men did you get enlisted ? 

A. I should think two or three hundred. 

Q. How much has he paid you for it ? 

A. At one time he gave me $5, at another time $10, at another 
$20 or $25 at one time. At one time he gave me $50, and I gave 
him $20 back. 

Q. That makes $70, is that all ? 

A. I don't know but he has given me $10 twice — I don't know 
but he has. 

Q. Is that all he has paid you ? Does he owe you any more ? 

A. I don't know. 

Q. You don't know whether he will give you any more or not ? 
Do you know whether he will or not ? 

A. He asked me one day what my bill was, and I told him I did 
not know, as I had any bill. He said he did not want me to work 
for nothing. 

Q. You have taken nothing from the men you have enlisted? 

A. No, sir ; not a cent. 

Q. Have you sold any property, watches or anything else to 
them ? 

A. Watches or anything else of no kind, whatever, I haven't. 

Q. What was your business before you went to Major Engley's ? 
A. I was with Major Jenckes, on Market square, as long as he 
stayed there. 

Q. The same kind of business? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 395 

A. Yes, sir ; I was with him eight or nine months pretty near. 

Q. Do you know a colored man by the name of David E. 
Howard ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I beheve that's his name. His name is Howard. 

Q. Did you make out that paper ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is that your hand writing? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And that ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And that ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When did you make out those papers ? 

A. Last week. 

Q. The day that they are dated? 

A. Yes, sir ; I think I did. 

Q. Where did you find this Howard ? 

A. The Quartermaster brought him to me. 

Q. Quartermaster who ? 

A. The Quartermaster of the 14tli Regiment. Quartermaster 
Pearce. 

Q. Did he tell you that he wanted to enlist ? 

A. The Quartei'master told me that he Avanted to enlist. 

Q. Howard told you so ? 

A. Yes, Howard told me so, after he brought him to me. 

Q. After making out these papers, what did you do with him ? 

A. After making out those papers. I went up to Dr. Gardiner's 
with him. 

Q. Was he examined there by Dr. Gardiner? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was he rejected ? 

A. He did reject him. 

Q. Why did he reject him ? 

A. He said he did not hardly dare to pass him. He had got a 
small breach or hernia. The doctor called me in there to see him 
before he rejected him, to see the place, and showed me how to put it 
up. I think he was laying on the floor, if I mistake not. 

Q. The boy ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q, Lying on his back ? 

A. Yes, sir ; and he got up and showed me the difference. The 
doctor satisfied me that there was hernia there — there was something, 
it was a very slight strain, or hernia enough to have put it down 
hernia. 

Q. Did you leave the doctor's office in company with the boy ? 

A. I came right out after him. 

Q. Did you have any conversation with David ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I told the doctor, that he was going to have only 
light work to do — that he was going in the Adjutant's department. 



396 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. That was after the boy left ? 

A. He stood in the door. 

Q. You came away with the boy ? 

A. I came away when the boy came away. I told him I would 
see the doctor. 

Q. What did you say to the boy after he came fi-om the doctor's? 

A. I told him I would see the doctor. The boy said he did not 
know why he did not pass. I told him I would see the doctor again, 
and told him to come round to the office in the afternoon. 

Q. What did you tell him to come round for ? 

A. I told him I would see him again. 

Q. Did you tell him what you were going to do to him? 

A. I don't think I told him. 

Q. Did you tell him you were going to cure him ? 

A. Not at that time. 

Q. Did you tell him you could put him through, or something to 
that effect ? 

A. I did afterwards. 

Q. Where was that ? 

A. I thmk that was in the office. 

Q. After he came down to the office — in your office ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you tell him you were going to get him through, or ex- 
pected to ? 

A. I did not tell him that. I told him I could put that up for 
him, and if he did not strain himself it would not trouble him. 

Q. How much did you ask him for it? 

A. I asked 820. 

Q. Did you put it up for him ? 

A. He laid down on his back and I put it up, and put a pad on it 
and put a bandage on it. 

Q. Where did you see it done ? 

A. I have seen it done in the New HaA^en Hospital. 

Q. Did you put any medicine on it ? 

A. I put on some liniment. It is a strengthening liniment. 

Q. What is the name of it ? 

A. I think it is Cowe's — I think that's the name. 

Q. Of the man or the liniment ? 

A. Of the man ; yes, sir. 

Q. Well, after binding up the boy, ^^hat then ? 

A. He said before this, that he had not any money to pay for fix- 
ing it. He told me this. I told him to come round again next day, 
and he came round again next day in the morning. I did not do 
anything to him the same day he was at Dr. Gardiner's. 

Q. It was not the same day ? 

A. No, sir ; I think it was the next day, the 17th — the 17th or 
18th, — I cannot say whether it was the next day or day after. It 
was one of the two days, I believe. 

Q. When did you next see the boy ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 397 

A. I saw him in the morning, the next day in the morning. 

Q. That would be the 18th or 19th ? 

A. That would be the 18th. I think he did not come roupd at 
five o'clock. I think I did not see him at all then. 

Q. What did you do on the 18th ? 

A. On the 18th he came in in the morning, and Mr. Chacp was 
there, and Mr. Chace says to him, "are you going to enlist?" He 
says, " I was going to, but they would not have me." He says, 
" why, what's the matter?" " Well," says David, "I have got a 
strain." Mr. Chace turned to me and said he, " can't you fix it, -or 
cure it?" I told him I thought I could. He says he has got noth- 
ing to pay for it, 

Q. Mr. Chace suggested an order, did he ? 

A. Yes, sir; and took him into the other room, — there were two 
rooms, — and had a conversation with him. When he came in he 
says, " that's all right, you fix him up and you will have half of it." 

'Q. You were to divide the |20 ? 

A. Yes, sir ; Ave were to divide. 

Q. Had you said anything to Chace, previous to this, about the 
boy ? 

A. Not before he came in. 

Q. You had not seen him at all ? 

A. I had not seen him. Chace suggested, in the first place, to 
give an order, I think he said for $50 ; I told him no, I did not want 
$50, but I thought that |20 would not be much out of the way. 
Said I, " he has not the money," and afterwards he had a conversa- 
tion with him, 

Q. I wish you would explain to the Committee why that $20 
would not be out of the way V 

A. Well, I thought $20 would not be, I did. 

Q. What did you do that would be worth $20. 

A. Well, I put up this hernia for it, and he made an agreement 
with Mr. Chace. 

Q. You did not say anything about that to him ? 

A. Not till after Mr. Chace had. 

Q. You did not name the price? 

A. Not until Mr. Chace did. 

Q. You did not, previous to Mr. Chace ? 

A. No, sir ; Mr. Chace first named it. 

Q. Did Mr. Chace write the order then ? 

A. No, sir ; he told me to go on and fix up the thing. I think 
that was the afternoon following, when the boy came into the office 
again. 

Q. Was it the next day that Mr. Chace wrote the order, or was 
it the same day? 

A, It was the next day that he brought the order in. 

Q. Where did he write it ? 

A. I suppose at 81 Westminster St., I do not know where he 
wrote it. 



398 KEPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q, Did you see the order ? 

A. I saw it when he handed it to me. He took it and told me to 
put my name there and his here. 

Q. Did you ask Mr. Chace to write the order ? 

A. No, sir ; he proposed that himself. 

Q. Did you tell him you did not know how to write an order? 

A. No, sir ; I did not. 

Q. Now state what that paper was that he brought in ? 

A. The order ? I did not read it. I saw the $20 right above 
where I put my name. Chace handed the order, and says, " you 
put your name down." He handed me this piece of paper. I wrote 
my name and passed it to him, and he did so, and Mr. Chace folded 
up the paper and put it into his pocket. 

Q. You say you signed your name ? 

A. I signed what Mr. Chace told me to. I could not tell you 
the writing. 

Q. Where was the $20 ? 

A. Right above where I signed my name, on the right hand. 
He says, " you sign your name there;" and I did so, and he says, 
" sign your name," (to Howard,) and he did so. 

Q. Did not you know it was a bill for your services? 

A. I did not know, I suspected it was ; I did not know, because 
I did not read it. 

Q. Did you understand that it was a receipt that you were sign- 
ing ? ^ 

A. Yes, sir ; I understood it was a receipt. 

Q. Did you read the order ? 

A. I did not, sir. 

Q. Did you read it ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not read any portion of it. 

Q. Did you know what it was ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You did not read the order? 

A. I never have read it. 

Q. Who took the order after it was signed ? Who was it made 
payable to ? 

A. I suppose it was made payable to Major Engley. 

Q. What makes you think it was made payable to Maj. Engley? 

A. All the orders I had ever seen made out had been payable to 
Major Engley ; that is why I supposed that was the case. 

Q. Has Major Engley ever advanced you any money on that 
order ? 

A. This last one of Mr. Chace's ? no, sir. 

Q. Has he paid Chace any money on it ? 

A. Not that I know of. 

Q. What did Chace do with the order ? 

A. He went off with it. 

Q. When did you next see the order ? 

A. The next day. 

Q. Where ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 399 

A. At the Paymaster General's. 

Q. It was left at the Paymaster General's office? 

A. Yes, sir ; that's where I got it. 

Q. Who was with you ? 

A. Mr. Chace w^ent and got it himself. Col. Viall came in and 
says, " you must not take <f 20 of that boy's pay, because it is not 
right, and as far as I am concerned there shall be nothing stopped." 
"Have you an order on him," said he. " No, sir," said I. "Has 
he signed one ?" Mr. Chace made out an order. " Where is it," 
said Col. Viall. " Mr. Chace took it and ^vent off with it," I said. 
Said I, " do you want I should get it?" He said, " a'cs." I came 
out into the entry. He says, " if you have expended any money, 
you shall have it paid to you." " I had not paid any money," I said, 
said Cob Viall, " I don't want to make any fuss, but you must not 
stop 820 of that boy's pay." Said I, " where are you going. Colonel ?" 
" To dinner," said he. " How long shall you be up there ?" said I. 
" About half an hour," he said. Said I, "I will go and see if I can 
find it, and bring it to you." I came over to 81 Westminster St., 
and said to Mr. Chace, " I want that order, — Col. Viall wants it." 
" Viall?" said ho, has nothing to do with it. I said, " I don't want any 
fuss, I would like to have the order." Said he, " it is over to the Pay- 
master General's, and I am going right there." He went over in 
the course of ten or fifteen minutes, — ten it may be, and he went 
and asked the Paymaster for that order. The Paymaster told him 
where it was, and I took it and came down to the Bank Eating 
House, where Col. Viall was going to eat his dinner, and asked the 
man if Col. Viall was there, and he said he had been there at dinner, 
but was gone. Said I, " do you know where he has gone ?" and he 
said " no." I went directly from there over to the office, and took 
the order and put it in the stove. 

Q. You did show it to Col. Viall? 

A. The Colonel was not there. 

Q. What did you put it in the stove for ? 

A. To burn it up and have it out of the Avay. I did not want 
the money. I did not want anything to do with it. 

Q, The order was not payable to you ? 

A. I never read the order, — I presume not. There never was 
any order made payable to me, — one half belonged to Chace. 

Q. What right had you to destroy it? 

A. I don'.t know, — I did destroy it. 

Q. Does Chace know^ you have destroyed it ? 

A. Does he know I have destroyed it ? I think he does. 

Q. Did he not tell you to destroy it ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. He never authorized you to destroy it ? 

A. I do not know whether he asked what I was going to do with 
it or not, I cannot say certainly. I don't recollect whether he told 
me to destroy it or not. I told him I did not want the money. 

Q. Now, recollect carefully what he said when he gave it to you, 
or about that time ? 



400 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

A. He says, " here's the order," and took it from among some 
other papers, and I cannot say whether he said are you going to des- 
troy it or not. I don't think he did, however. 

Q. He said something about destroying it, did he not ? 

A. I do not recollect whether he did or did not. 

Q. Did he say it had better be destroyed ? 

A. He might, possibly, have said so ; but I should not be willing 
to swear for positive that he did. 

Q. Did he not say something to that effect ? Don't you know 
that he did ? 

A. No, sir ; not for certain, I don't. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. Did you understand him to say that he 
would not be at all surprised if you did destroy it ? 

A. I do not recollect distinctly, of his saying anything about des- 
troying the order. AVhen I asked him for the order, he says, " why?" 
and I said, " Col. Viall says it is not right." 

Q. He expected you were going to take care of it ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I suppose he expected me to. 

Q. Did he tell you to show it to Col. Viall ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did he tell you not to ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You mentioned Col. Viall to him ? 

A. Yes, sir ; when I asked him for the order. 

Q. By Mr. Hill. Have you been in the habit of destroying 
orders that he said were not right, before ? 

A. No, sir; I never had an order before, — never had anything 
to do with it. 

Q. [Shows another paper.] Is that filled up by you ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is that your hand- writing ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was that signed by Dr. Gardiner? 
. A. I presume so ; his name is there. 

Q. You did not see him write his name ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not, sir. 

Q. Did you have a paper with his signature on it? 

A. He signed the papers just previous to signing the order. 

Q. You had this paper in your possession at the time the order 
was signed ? 

A. Yes, sir ; after he signed the order, Mr. Chace took the order 
and went out of the office, and I did not see him any more. 

Q. Where did you get this paper? 

A. We have papers there all the time. 

Q. Did you have any with the doctor's signature in blank ? 

A. No, sir ; he signed the order, and I told 

Q. When did the doctor sign that paper ? 

A. He signed it after the boy went out. 

Q. On what day? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 401 

A. I think it was Friday. 

Q. The same day he was examined and rejected ? 

A. No, sir ; the next day, or the next day after that, I don't 
know which. 

Q. The day of the date ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I think it was Friday. 

Q. Dr. Gardiner signed it that day ? How do you know ? 

A. I know I sent the papers up to him, and he sent them back to 
me signed. 

Q. By whom did you send them ? 

A. I sent them by a man sitting there. There are loafers around 
there all the time. This was the first man that came in ; I asked 
him to do an errand for me. 

Q. Do you mean that you sent these papers up by a loafer or a 
stranger ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I sent up three papers. I don't consider the papers 
of any account before the doctor's name is there. 

Q. Was he employed in the office ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you seen him there before ? 

A. I have seen him two or three times. He has come in and 
gone out again. 

Q. Have you seen him there since ? 

A. I have not, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Hill. What made you think that Dr. Gardiner 
would sign the certificate of this man ? 

A. Why, he was something in doubt about the boy, and told him 
once to put on his clothes, and afterwards he looked at him again. 
We have sent up papers before and the doctor has signed them. 

Q. When he would not sign them at the time ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is that common ? 

A. Not very common. 

Q. Who went up with this loafer? 

A. I don't know ; he went out of the office alone. 

Q. Was David E. Howard with him ? 

A. No, sir ; David E. Howard was gone, — he came down to the 
office afterwards. 

Q. Did he sign it afterwards ? 

A. No, sir ; he signed it first. 

Q. He signed it, and then you sent it up ? 

A. Yes, sir ; I did. He signed this in the forenoon of the same 
day. 

Q. What message did you send with this man who carried the 
paper ? 

A. I told him to tell the doctor that there was a set of papers that 
West sent up to him. 

Q. Was it a colored man that West sent up with the papers ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

51 



402 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. You don't know his name ? 

A. I don't know his name. There are any quantity of colored 
men who come in that I don't know, — they come in and go out. 

Q. Did you ever hear his name? 

A. I have not. A colored man comes in to-day inquiring for 
Major Engley, and he turns round ^nd goes out. Sometimes they 
stand up, and sometimes they sit down. Sometimes there are three 
or four of them in. I think this man came in the day before, along 
with 

Q. Went out with him, or went out not at the same time ? 

A. About the same time. 

Q. Do you know whether Dr. Gardiner examined this colored 
man that carried the papers ? 

A. I do not know, sir ; I made no bargain with the colored man, 
further than to take the papers. 

Q. Did not you tell the man to tell the doctor his name was 
David E. Howard? 

A. No, sir ; I did not. 

Q. Did not you tell him what the name was on this paper ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not. 

Q. Did not he know they were David E. Howard's papers ? 

A. I do not know whether he knew or not, I cannot say. 

Q. Did not you tell him whose papers they were ? 

A. No, sir ; I told him to tell the doctor that West sent up a set 
of papers. 

Q. Were you arrested by the Provost Marshal ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When ? 

A. Last night. 

Q. At what time ? 

A. About seven o'clock. 

Q. Where were you going? 

A. I was going to Washington. 

Q. Who ordered you to go to Washington ? Did not any one 
order you to go to Washinoton ? 

A. There did not anybody order me to go. 

Q. What was the business you were going on ? 

A. I was going to see the sutler of the 23d Pennsylvania Regt. 
I was going down to the front. I was going further than Washing- 
ton. 

Q. Were your family with you ? 

A. Yes, sir. I have been down to Washington before. 

Q. You had no orders or commission from Major Sanford or 
Major Engley ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You had no orders there at all from Major Engley or Major 
Sanford ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did they know you were going away ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 403 

A. I don't know that they did, — not particular. I am not in 
the office much now days, because ihey are not doing much. I was 
not in the office at all yesterday, nor the day before. 

Q. Did not you say anything about going ? 

A. I did not lately. Last week I told them I was going to Wash- 
ington ; I named it in the office ; but to no one in particular. I think 
I was talking to Mr. Chace. 

Q. Do you mean to say that neither Major Engley nor Major 
Sanford knew that you were going to Washington last night ? 

A. No, sir ; not that I know of. 

Q. Did they not know that you were going somewhere ? 

A. I don't know as they knew I was going aAvay last night, in 
particular. 

Q. Did they not know that you were going aAvay last night, yes- 
terday or to-day ? 

A.' Not that I know of. I did not tell them. I did not see them 
yesterday, — neither Major Engley, Major Sanford or Chace. 

Q. Have you seen them to-day ? 

A. No, sir ; I have seen Major Sanford to-day, going into the 
Provost's office, that's the only one I have seen. 

Q. Who furnished you with transportation on the cars ? 

A. The Quartermaster General. 

Q. For your family ? 

A. No, sir ; for myself. 

Q. Did you apply to the Quartermaster General for a ticket yes- 
terday ? 

A. No, sir ; not yesterday ; I applied a week or two ago for a 
ticket, and did not use it. 

Q. What did you tell him you wanted a ticket for ? 

A. To go to Washington. 

Q. On what business ? 

A. I told him I was going down to the front. 

Q. Did you tell him what you were going to the front for? 

A. I told him I was going to carry some things to the boys. I 
got the pass at the Adjutant General's office", to pass me down to the 
front. 

Q. Did you carry some things down to sell? 

A. No, sir ; some things that their friends sent them. 

Q. Is it customary for the Quartermaster General to furnish 
tickets to anybody who wants to go to the front ? 

A. No, sir ; I don't think so. He knew I had been there a num- 
ber of times, — the Adjutant General did. I had always paid him full 
fares, and never made application before. I made application this 
time and he granted it. 

Q. You had no order from Engley or Sanford, on the Quarter- 
master ? 
* A. No, sir. 

Q. By Mr. Blake. They did not know that you were going ? 

A. They knew that I was going on, and I got it and went to 
New York and returned. 



404 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Q. By Mr. Blake. The Chairman asked you a question which 
you did not seem to answer. What business did you go on ? 

A. I was going down to the sutler of the 23d Pennsylvania Regt., 
to see if I could get a job of buying goods for the sutler's department. 
That's what I was going for, and at tlie same time to carry some 
packages for some of the 2d Rhode Island, which I have done before, 
without any charge. 

Q. By Mr. Hill. Did you have any packages ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By the Chairman. For whom ? 

A. Some of the members of the 2d Rhode Island. 

Q. What names ? 

A. Capt. Mclntire was one, and Stephen Barry was another. 

Q. Who sent the package to Capt. Mclntire ? 

A. Some of his folks, I suppose. 

Q. Don't you know Mr. Farnsworth went on that week ? 

A. No, sir ; I did not know it. 

Q. Did you see Capt. Mclntire when you went on ? 

A. I did not, sir. 

Q. You say it is no uncommon thing for Dr. Gardiner to sign 
the papers of men after they have been rejected ? 

A. Oh, no, sir, not for rejected men ; but to sign papers sent to 
him when a man would go there to-day, who had been there two or 
three times, — been there and been doctored, you know, — to bring up 
these papers and he would sign the papers. 

(Dr. Gardiner, who was present during the examination, was per- 
mitted to question the witness.) 

Q. I should like to ask of liim whether he has been to my office 
since that man was brought there the first time ? Have you been 
there yourself since ? 

A. I brought up another man to you since, yes, sir ; I have been 
there since this man was rejected. 

TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM MONROE. 

Wednesday, February 15th, 1865. 

Q. Had you anything to do with the payment of any bounty or 
allotment of bounty, or the payment or collection of any orders given 
in connection with the veteran Third Regiment ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What ? 

A. In the first place, the payment of everything of that nature 
this side of New Orleans, came into my hands. I was ordered by 
Commissioner A. D. Smith, 3d, to send those for the Third Regi- 
ment down to Chaplain Denison, and there it has remained. 

Q. Since Chaplain Denison's return, did you have anything to 
do with them ? 

A. Yes, sir; I have. 

Q. Under what appointments, and what did you do ? 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 405 

A. Governor Smith came over to the office, and said I must go 
down to the Third R. I. Regt., in South Carolina, and settle up the 
State bounties that were not settled. By his orders, and those of 
Commissioner Smith, of course.- I started about the 1st of Decem- 
ber. 

Q. What was it about the orders that were held by J. A. Jas- 
tram, S. S. Laphani and others ? 

A. They were all attached. I attached them to the bounty cer- 
tificates, that is, as far as I could. There were some that I could not 
find. Some of the bounties I had orders for, but no bounty cer- 
tificates. 

Q. Did you collect those orders, if so, by whose authority? 

A. No, sir ; I did not collect them. 

Q. Why not? 

A. Because the men would not sign the bounty certificates. 

Q. Did you collect any of them ? 

A. There were two or three that were settled. I got them all 
received by the Adjutant. Some of them had been signed and not 
received. I think there are eight that are settled in that way, or 
ready to be. 

Q. Why did not the men sign these? 

A. I am sure I cannot say. The reason they gave, was, that 
they could only get from $90 to $125 for a certificate of $150. 

Q. Did some of them say that they had not received anything ? 

A. Yes, sir ; one said so, which has been paid this week. It was 
sent down there and signed by him, and we paid it. We have paid 
it in our office. The man said he did not get anythins;. On the 
back of it, it was payable to John A. Jastram. He admitted that he 
never had bought it. We sent it down and had the man sign it, or 
put an order on the back of it, to pay to John A. Jastram. It was 
done by Col. Francis, or some of his clerks, probably. These men 
have not been paid because of these orders, up to the present time. 
They have sold their bounties. Everything that had not been sold 
has been paid. I paid them the cash. I am sure I do not know how 
they sold them. The men say they sold them themselves ; that they 
sold them to the parties whose names are on the back of the bounty 
certificates, and still they refuse to sign the orders, unless they get 
the balance of the money. 

Q. Who paid your expenses in going down there ? 

A. The State Commissioner, the same as he always does. 

Q. How much did you pay out while you were down there? 

A. There was only one man that I paid $25 to, to give up a 
draft ; I paid him $25 to give up a draft, payable, I think, to Joseph 
E. Dispeau. 

Q. Whose money was that that you paid? 

A. It was in my possession, of course, belonging to the State. I 
was responsible to the State for it ; still, the man had already received 
his $200. His bounty certificate was $200. Mr. Denison gave me 
in cash, and then gave him a draft for $140 to send to J. E. Dis- 



406 REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 

peau. Dispeau, in the first place, bought the whole of it for $140 ; 
So that Dispeau has lost his $25 to get his $140 draft, and he had 
paid the $25 to the State. I paid it myself, but Dispeau paid it in 
fact. He paid it to me, — I was responsible for it. I received, also, 
money from other parties. I cannot tell unless I get the duplicates. 
There were, probably, $600 or $700 that I received and gave them 
drafts for, to send to their families and friends. 

Q, Did you receive any money from any private party here, for 
going down there, or for any service you rendered while there ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Only the $25 from Dispeau ? 

A. No, sir ; I received that after I got back. I was not obliged 
to pay it. 

Q. Did you receive any compensation after you got back from 
any other parties, — persons like Jastram and Lapham ? 

A. No, sir ; not a cent. 

Q. How much money did you take down from the Allotment 
Commissioner ? 

A. I merely took enough for my expenses. I took only $200 
when I left, thinking I should be back in two weeks ; but, I had to 
wait two months for boats. I received money while I was there and 
used that. 

TESTIMONY OF MAJOR S. P. SANFORD. 

Question. Were you a Major in the R. I. L. Artillery? if so, 
from what time to what time ? 

Answer. I was from the 11th or 12th of September, 1861, to 
sometime in March, 1864, when I resigned. 

Q. Have you had anything to do with the service of recruiting 
soldiers in this State since June 1st, 1863, and it so, state what, and 
under what arrangement it was carried on 7 

A. At that time, I had charge of recruiting for the 1st R. I. L. 
A., but at that time, was under orders to report to the Governor for 
additional service. I became interested in the o-eneral recruitino- for 
the State. The order was issued a year previous or more. The first 
arrangement was the regular bounty with head money to all who 
presented men, I think, of $10. (!ol. W. Sayles had charge of re- 
cruiting for the 3d Cavalry. I had an indirect charge when directed. 
Short time after this we got authority to raise a colored regiment of 
artillery, and we disbanded, so far as they were enlisted, — should not 
think that more than one or two companies had been enlisted, — the 
cavalry regiment was changed to a three years regiment. The dis- 
banded men, if they re-enlisted, would be entitled to a bounty upon 
re-enlistment, as if this was their first enlistment, and Avithout refer- 
ence to the reception of any previous bounty. About seven or eight 
weeks after, the organization of the 14th Regiment was commenced. 
The Governor sent for me with reference to this regiment, and from 
that time I superintended the recruiting. In August 1862,, or July, 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 407 

I enlisted J. C. Engleyas a private in the light artillery. I was as- 
tonished that a man of his ability would enlist as a private. I put 
him on recruiting service for the artillery, in which he was successful. 
After a while he went to the field for two months. Then he -^^'as 
again ordered to report for recruiting service, and did report. Gov. 
Sprague gave him a commission of Lieutenant for the 5th Regiment. 
He recruited for that regiment until Col. Sisson went to Newbern. 
The next I knew of him, he Avas engaged in the substitute business. 
Major Engley was not mustered into the service when Gov. Smith spoke 
to me. I sent tor Major Engley, who was then getting substitutes 
for the towns, and told him I wished him to drop that business, and 
assist me in recruiting. This was shortly subsequent to the riots in 
New York. I sent Sergeant Grabner to New York. He returned 
with twenty-seven men. This encouraged Major Engley, and at 
that time I gave him a limited charge of recruiting, and he went to 
New York and returned with forty-seven men. Within a few days 
he asked me about an understanding. He told me that it was a dis- 
agreeable business. He had an interview with the Governor, and 
several with myself, Avhich resulted in his being made Major, and 
drawing the pay of a Major, head-money of 1^10, with a prospect of 
more, if necessary, and he accepted and was appointed Major. I 
think that these companies of the first battalion were enlisted before 
any change was made in this. Up to this time, two-thirds of the 
men enlisted came from New York and Brooklyn. That field be- 
came thin ; and to fill the regiment it became necessary to go to 
other places. We had another consultation with Engley, the latter 
part of September, or the first of October, 1863. The Governor 
concluded that there was no safety in supplying forty, or fifty, or 
sixty State agents for recruits, Avith money from the State Treasury. 
Major Engley having considerable property, mortgaged it for $10,000, 
and put the money into this business of recruiting. My only infor- 
mation upon this point was from him. Then he had the full charge of 
the detail of the business under myself and Governor Smith, of 
course, so far as getting the men to enlist. There was no contract, 
but from the special orders of Governor Smith. The Governor said 
to him then, " you can take places west of New York, and as far 
west as Buffalo, including Albany and Canada." He was to have an 
understanding with the men in that tract, and in no case should he 
have any understanding with any man that he should enlist for $250. 
The agent to return men who should not pass ; and upon the men 
who were passed, Engley was to have $50. Engley was to fui'nish 
all transportation from beyond New York, and all that exceeded $4 
from Providence. There was another strip of country which he 
could have under the same conditions, $75, another $100, another 
$150, another $200, and in case of a contraband, he was to have $50, 
or not to be brought away. It was intended that no other agent had 
authority co-equal with Engley. Dr. Helme had an arrangement 
with D. W. Vaughn & Co., and by that arrangement was to have 
$10 for each man. The intention was to place the recruiting princi- 



408 REPORT OF FINAKCE COMMITTEE 

pally in Engley's hands. Since the recruiting for the Fourteenth 
Regiment, the arrangement for that service has been changed three 
times. For a time he was out of the service, but upon the call made 
in July for 500,000 men, I asked him to assist me. He did so, but 
with reluctance. My impression is, that a portion of Major Engley's 
property which he mortgaged, was in the town of Walpole, as "he 
said. He said he had made more money since he left the recruiting 
service, than while in the employ of the State. He gave us little 
assistance then, and recruiting went on slowly till October 15th, 1864, 
with the exception of the recruiting of one year men for the Second 
Regiment. About this time the Governor sent for me, and told 
me that he had no doubt that another draft would -be ordered 
before the close of the year ; and he requested me at once to take 
hold of the business of recruiting and set it a going, and I did 
so. The arrangement at that time was with four principal agents: — 
Major Engley, Captain Starkey, Colonel Francis and Colonel Jenckes. 
A few weeks afterwards, Lieutenant Occleston presented himself to 
recruit for the United States. After this, the Hancock Corps was 
ordered, and Major Bailey and Mr. Angell undertook the recruiting 
for that corps. To recur to the 3d Cavalry, on the 1st of January, 
1864, I became superintendent for recruiting for the State, and de- 
voted most of my attention to the 3d Cavalry ; at this time I was in 
the service of the United States. I will also state that recruiting was 
carried on under order No. 227, from the War Department, at Nor- 
folk and Newbern. Taking the order in October, (I have received 
none since,) the bounty for the men was $100, $200 and $300, re- 
spectively, for one, two and three years. The head money for the 
runner for the Second Regiment, $50, for the old regiments $60 for 
one year, $80 for two years, and $90 for three years. The four or 
five agents, on presenting to the Executive office a receipt that they 
had paid the runner this sum, and no more or less, received $20. In 
no case could either of these agents receive the $60, $80 or $90. 
The exceptions to this rule, were the cases of Lieut. Occleston and 
Col. Jenckes. The former was a United States officer, and received 
his pay as such, and could not receive the $20; except in one instance, 
of the first four men brought by him. He received the additional 
$20, on the ground that he had paid out that sum by misapprehen- 
sion of orders. This system went on until about the 1st of January, 
when the bounty was increased $100 for each year. The head 
money, to all agents, except Occleston, was on presenting a stamped 
receipt that they had paid out $150 to a runner, or to the recruit, 
received a voucher which entitled him to $50. The agent, in no 
case, being permitted to take the $150. The transportation tickets 
between Providence and New York, were issued, in some cases, by 
the Quartermaster General ; in some cases by myself, and in some 
cases by Major Engley. Engley's order for transportation would 
have been good had he sent it to the railroad office, New York. I 
think that there has been transportation used for other than for re- 
cruiting purposes, — fifty or thirty tickets were issued to Col. Viall, — 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 409 

that his Provost Marshal Brewster, had from Col. Viall, and carried 
to Buffalo, where he was to recruit on the same terms as Major 
Engley. Nothing was afterwards heard from Brewster or the tickets, 
but we found from transactions disclosed, that there had many of 
them been used. There was many cases where I heard of women 
riding on this class of transportation, but as some of our recruiting 
agents were ladies, I did not pay much attention to it. I would state 
further that the system was liable to abuse. 

52 



410 



REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE 



Headquarters, 2d District, R. I. 

The following is a list of names of recruits enlisted and mustered at this office, 
during the month of January, 1865, with date of enlistment, name of person presenting 
the recruit, date of voucher, and amount for which the voucher was given, and name 
of person to whom the voucher was given : 



Names of Recruits 



Thomas Smith, 

George W. Marr, 

Abner S. Avery, 

Lewis Clarke, 

Lyman Briggs, 

George O. Scott, 

Chester Warner, 

Thomas Cunningham. . . 

Isaiah Ilorton 

Geo. F. Oldenburg 

John Devlin. 

Jolin Morris, (colored). . 

William H. Duncan 

James A. Foster 

James GofF 

Richard D. Tanner 

John Healey 

Darius Lee 

Alexander R. Ammons. . 

John Donahue 

John Comior 

Erastus Gardner 

28 John Brown 

24 j William Lindsey 

2") James Barton. 

20 John Q. A. Sayles 

27 Burrill G. Mooue 

28| wen Foley 

2y Horatio N. Perry 

30 Thos. J. Harney, (discgd) 

01 Patrick Coyle 

02 Timothy Collins 

oo James D. Wells 

84 Edwin W. Westgatc. . . . 
ob Lawrence Sullivan 

86 Joseph Philipp 

87 Andrew Jordan . . . 

88 Joini Mulville 

o'JlWm. A. Aynier 

40 Geo. A. Tisdale 

4rOwen Kelley 

42 Virginias H. Arnold. . . . 

48 James Kennedy 

44 Thomas L. JtMinison.. .. 

4.3 bnac D. Hall 

46il'aniel Sweeney. . 

47 Job Bnggs . . 

48 Lewin C. Miinroe 

49i Abraham Taylor., 

oO Wm. A. Munroe 

y] Howard F. L5rooks 

52 Phillips Kiuifniiin 

52!.Josepli W. Aldricli 



Date of Names of persons presenting Date of Amt. of 
Enlisfment. the Recruits. Touchers. Vouch. 



Jan. 2, 
2 



1865 



•J 
9 
10 
10 
10 
10 
11 
11 
12 
18 
18 
18 
18 
18 
16 
16 
16 
16 
16 
17 
17 
17 
17 
18 
18 
I'J 
l'.» 
20 
20 
21 
21 
21 
21 
21 
23 



L. T. Starkey 

do 

do 

do 

C. A. SaUsbury 

L. T. Starkey 

do 

do 

do 

do 

S. C. Spooner 

0. C. Melburn, Jr.... 
L. T. Starkey 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Charles Holden 

E.H. Arnold 

Wm. N. Brown 

L. T. Starkey 

W. N. Brown 

L. T. Starkey 

do 

do 

do 

John O'Kourke 

L. T. Starkey 

do 

Cooke, Gorton & Co. 

John OTlourke 

T. W. Franklin 

L. T. Starkey 

do 

John N. Francis 

L. T. Starkey 

do 



do. 
do. 
do. 



do. 

do. 

do. 
! J. C. Engley . . . . 

do'. 
Geo. Si Appleby. 
L. T. Starkey. .. 

do. 

do^ 

do. 

do. 
'C. A. Fuller:... 



Jan. 2, 1865 




9 
10 
10 
10 
10 
11 
11 
12 
13 
18 
18 
13 
18 
16 
16 
16 
16 
16 
17 
17 
17 
17 
18 
18 
19 
19 
20 
20 
21 
21 
21 
21 
21 
28 



PuovosT Mabsh.m.'.s Offick, 2i» District, IJ. I., I 

Providence, February 10, 1865. i 

I certify the above to Ik- a true copv of the records of this office, furnished to Hon. 
Wm. P. Sheffield, by request. " A. B. CHADSEY, 

Pro. Mar. 2d Disc, R. I. 



ON BOUNTY FRAUDS. 



411 



The following is a list of men forwarded by A. B. Chadsey, Provost Marshal of 26. 
District, K. I., to the naval rendezvous, Boston, Mass., and enlisted in the U. S. Navy, 
during the month of January, 1865 : 



1 

2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
.15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 
58' 
59' 



Date of 
Enlistment. 



Anderson, Oliver 

Morgan, Noah W. ... . . 

Badger, George C 

Fitzgerald, Garrett 

Boyle, George W 

Kelly, William 

Brimsner, William 

Whitehouse, Mark . , . - 

Banks, George 

McCarty, John ..... 

Clark, Richard 

Sewell, Edward P 

Dickerson, Danforth G. 

Cragin, Thomas / 

Brown, Charles 

Nicholson, John 

Souther, George G , 

Kyan, Joseph , 

Cross, Richard 

Elwell, James 

Jefferson James 

Fisher, George 

Crowning, William. . .. 

Duroff, James i . . 

Happersett, Wm. H. . . . 

Bishop, James 

Gillespie, Peter 

Moore, John F , 

Evans, Winslow , 

West, Edwin S 

Bell, George 

Mellsops, Wm. C..< 

Henrj", William 

Tate, Charles 

Polhis, Gabriel 

Brlggs, Francis 

McGowan, John 

Bum, Thomas 

An, Tliomas 

Miskall, Thomas 

Ward, Henry 

Sterling, Tliomas 

Brown, James 

Maguire, Jolin 

Grady, James 

Stafford, Ciiarles H 

Buckley, Joseph 

Casey, Michael 

O'Donnell, Bernard. . . . 

Ragan, Micliael 

Curtis, Wm. H 

Mattison, Asa.. 

Morgan, Jo?c'pli 

McCarty, John 

Ross, Robert 

Thomas, William 

Brown, Ezekiel B 

Green, John , 

SuUivan, Cornelius 



Jan. 2, 1865 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

5 

5 

5 

5 

3 

5 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

5 

9 

9 

9 

10 
10 
10 
10 
11 
11 
11 
11 
11 
11 
11 

13 
12 
12 
13 
13 
14 
16 
17 
17 
18 
21 
20 
21 
21 
21 
21 
23 



Term of 
Service. Naval Rendezvous. 



years 



Boston, Mass. 
New Bedford, " 
Boston. " 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do, 

do. 
N. Bedford, Ms. 
Boston, 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do 

do. 



Designation. 



State at Large. 
So. Kingstown, R. 
State at Large. 



do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 



do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do, 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do, 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do, 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do, 
do. 
do. 
do. 
do, 
do. 



Provost Marshal's Office, 2d District, R. I., I 

Providence, February 15, 1865. ) 
The list of Fifty-nine Recruits, enlisted in the U. S. Navy, during the month of 
January, 186-5, is a true copy of the records of this office, and furnished Hon. Wm. 
P. Sheffield, by request. A. B. CHADSEY, 

Pro. Mar. 2d Dist. R. I. 



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